Chapter 100
Mick returned as I finished telling Lark, Oz, and the two miners, Mery and Jax, what my group had been up to the past few days. Our clash with the Den Mother had gained the interest of Lark and Oz, while our mention of the Jungle Titan had resulted in the miners flinching. I didn’t know for certain, but if I had to guess, the Hunter’s Guild wasn’t the only group that had to worry about Titans. I was beginning to get the feeling that there were more and more dangers lurking within the Tower, and every action could potentially end in catastrophe for those not bearing its blessing.
“Perfect timing Mick,” Lark said to the approaching Chief Miner. The man smiled at her, and nodded at Oz, before he looked towards me. A second later I had a trade request from the man, and mentally what I saw confirmed Lark’s earlier statements. He was giving me a full set of clothes, similar to what he was wearing, to combat the cold. Additionally, there was a stack of polar bear meat, hard-boiled penguin eggs, and coffee. The only thing I’d ever consumed, on that list, was coffee. A bitter beverage that warmed the body, and made you feel like you’d been struck with electricity. If I had to guess, the boost of warmth, and energy, were both a key part to a Miner’s life.
“Thanks,” I tried to give him a silver coin in the training window, but he shook his head promptly, removed it from the trade, and confirmed the intended trade once again. Begrudgingly I accepted, and he went through the same process with Lyn and Nyle. Both of my companions, judging by the exchanges being made, tried, and failed, to pay for the offered gear.
Not wanting to seem ungrateful, and with no other option really, I mentally selected the clothes, equipping them using the Tower’s magical system with ease. One moment I was dressed in my Climber’s Regalia, the next, a fur lined outfit, head to toe. The boots were stiffer than my other boots, however I could instantly tell by how thick and heavy they were, that they’d provide much more protection from the cold. The gloves on my hands were equally warm, though thankfully not too bulky. I reached down to Claw and Fang and drew the weapons, working my now warmed fingers to twist and twirl the blades as I ensured I could wield my weapons properly with the gloves on.
The gear itself, as I mentally inspected it, wasn’t overly special. There was nothing inherently magical about it, no stat boosts either, unfortunately. However, just being basic clothes was more than enough when it came to combatting the cold. The clothing was simple, non-magical, cold weather gear. And for the fourth floor, that was all that was needed really.
“Now you look like you’re ready for the fourth floor.” Mick said cheerily as he stepped back to look at my party. Nyle and Lyn had equipped their gear as well, though I noticed Lyn still wore her Grey Wolf Cloak and Grey Wolf Boots. Being fur lined already, it made sense she wouldn’t need the equivalent version of what Mick had provided us with. Besides, hers offered stat boosts, making them better all in all.
“You did good by them Mick,” Lark said as she walked over to the man, slapping her hand fondly on his shoulder. While we’d been trading with Mick, she’d stood up and put her hammer back across her back. “But you’ve much more important things to be doing today than looking out for lost coals.”
“Anyone who comes to the Frozen Mines is my responsibility,” Mick said with a simple shrug, “planned or not, they wound up on my doorstep, and as such, I did what any proper person would do. I took care of them.”
“But now, you should get back to what you need to be doing,” Lark’s voice was soft. “I know you don’t want to be out here any longer than you have to. You yearn for the mines, always have.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“That’s the truth,” Mick nodded in agreement, “but the moment I claimed my Chief Miner role, you know as well as I do that I can’t simply escape into the depths anymore.” He motioned first at me, then my group, and then everyone else. “I’ve a responsibility up here, as well as down there, to make sure everything is running smoothly.”
A strong hand grabbed my shoulder, and I flinched immediately at the sudden pressure. I’d been watching Lark and Mick, and hadn’t noticed, somehow, Oz coming up behind me and my friends. He now stood between Lyn and I, a hand on each of our shoulders.
“We’ve got these three from here,” Oz told Mick, “They’re Climbers after all. Makes sense we show them the ropes on the floor and keep them out of your way.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be helping the Miner’s Guild today?” I asked, suddenly feeling guilty. We’d stumbled here by accident, and now we were causing Mick problems. It was clear our arrival was throwing things off, and the man, polite as he was being, definitely had other responsibilities he should be seeing to. We were, in short, a burden. The exact opposite of what it meant to be a Climber.
“We’ve an hour to spare still,” Oz said, his grip tightening on my shoulder. “There’s another group of Climber’s in the mines proper right now. Limited spaces down there, so we rotate in teams and take breaks. It gives us time to relax and enjoy the fourth floor as well.”
I remembered what Lark had said about the delicacies of the fourth floor. How many teams of Climbers were down here with them? Did each tunnel have an assigned team? What ranks and levels were they? I had so many more questions.
“Are you sure?” Mick was asking Oz, as my mind reeled, “I don’t want you wasting your break on my behalf. If anyone has to take on the extra duty, it should be me. It’s only,”
“Stop it Mick,” Lark cut him off. “You’re too nice for your own good, you know that.” She laughed and slapped him across the back, causing the minor to stumble forward slightly as he let out an ‘oof.’ “Let us do this for you. Besides, if anyone’s doing anyone a favor, it’s you. We don’t get the opportunity to train Coals all that often anymore, and it’ll be a welcome change to our normal pace. And besides, we both know, the more you’re actually down in the mines, the more productive the day will be anyways. And a better haul, results in a better payout for all of us.”
Mick opened his mouth to argue, seemed to think better of that choice, and closed it. Then he looked to me, and offered me another smile. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that you’re in the best hands down here that you could be. If you need anything else though, don’t hesitate to ask. And,” he paused, his eyes sparkling, “hold onto the clothes. I don’t want your coin for them. Instead, keep them and take up a job when you can here on the fourth to help out. I’ll welcome your party, and you can repay me for my aid then, if you feel you must.”
“We will,” I said, already making a mental note to take note of more of the Miner’s Guild quests when we got back to Climber’s Rest tonight. We had a short-term goal of taking down the Den Mother, which was time critical. But after that, I had no doubt we could easily spend a day on the fourth floor helping the Miner’s guild. Not to mention, Alax was running missions with the Miner’s Guild for who knew how long into the future, according to the guidance he’d received from Jade. And if a Rank A Climber was encouraging helping the Miner’s Guild, I had no doubt these quests, and more importantly, the materials they gathered in a day, were extremely important to growing stronger as a Climber. Maybe not strictly through levels, but if I had to guess, through the type of equipment that could be crafted using the materials the materials the Miners could acquire from these floors.
Levels were an exciting aspect of being a Climber. I couldn’t wait to hit level 15, so I could push my Dexterity to 11, and get my first major boost. But even past that, at my heart I knew, I’d never, ever, not be excited about the possibility of new gear. Whether that be special loot from bosses, or, unique gear made from materials gathered within the Tower. I smiled, as I ran a gloved thumb over Claw and Fang. What weapons would I be able to create in the future?