Dungeon Chapter 27 (Patreon)

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We worked through the second floor marking where there were larger camps with the stronger monsters on our CID.

Then the next few days, we came back with more efficiency, focusing on the larger camps. Class resumed, and it was just what I expected Haylon to be.

Still, with the lack of a tank, and being a person down in our party, we were struggling with killing the shamans before they caused us complications.

“Go, I got this.” Des pointed her shield hand forward. “Shadow Wave.” She caught the attention of the mass of smaller fribbits as the champion came out of its tent.

“Sprint.” I rushed around them, even as a few stragglers came at me.

It was the same pivot we’ve been doing for the last two days.

Bun-bun rotated back to help Charlotte and Des finish off the rest of the fribbits while I went to assassinate the shamans.

I appeared in front of the casters and stomped the ground. “Earth Stomp.”

The ripples disrupted their ongoing casts, and I was on the first one in a flash. My new dagger had a dull, red glow like near dying embers as I activated Dark Strike three times in a row, brutally taking down the shaman and moving out of the way as the champion came charging in.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about you, big guy. Metamorphosis.” I grew into my demonic form, my weapons absorbing and my claws coming out.

I could hold the ability for about twenty to thirty seconds, depending how much I’d been casting before it.

So, there was no time to waste as I relied on Charlotte’s healing taking its club to the shoulder as my hands became a flurry of claws and tore through the champion while Harley jumped towards the shamans using a new ability, Dissonance, to interrupt their spells long enough for me to deal with the champion.

The skillbook was a good buy for her, especially to get her to stop complaining after the next item drop had been a dagger.

As soon as the champion became a cloud of smoke, I was jumping back, deactivating metamorphosis.

“Ken, we have a runner.” Des shouted, and I saw the shaman immediately.

Some times they ran and tried to recruit more of the little fribbits to fight for them.

Not on my watch.

“Sprint.” I raced after the shaman's fribbit, leaping into the air and crossing both of my blades across its back.

It exploded into a black cloud, and there was a strange tinkle of metal hitting the ground.

I paused just outside the cloud and peered in to see what loot it might be.

As soon as it was partially clear, I could see a small gold gleam and waved away the smoke to see it.

A small gold ring had dropped.

Awesome. I knelt down to snatch it up.

Rings or other jewelry were prized loot, not just because ladies liked them, but they could go to any adventurer.

Too often there was a piece of armor with the perfect stats, only to be the wrong type.

“Ken!” Charlotte shouted, and I looked up.

I didn’t know how he had snuck up on me.

But a tall man decked out in gleaming green armor scowled down at me.

It took me a second to realize it wasn’t a man, or not a human man, but an elf.

“Uh. Hi.” I was still kneeling as I realized stupidly that I needed to give him a gift.

Scrambling, I went to my CID only for him to tense and a wicked looking long sword appeared in his hand.

A softer voice spoke in liting language that almost sounded like a bird singing.

A younger female elf shook her head and pushed what I now realized was a guard aside. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and a green dress.

I was stunned for a moment. I’d expected them to be pale for some reason. But she had a healthy tan to go with her bright smile.

She trilled in that strange elven language at me and beamed. “Sorry, he is rather rough.” She spoke slowly, like she was worried I wouldn’t understand.

I was still kneeling, unsure of what exactly to do.

But I had this ring in my hand and offered it up to her for a lack of anything better to do. If the guard was going to twitch at me touching my CID, I had no other gifts.

“Then, here, a gift.” I offered up the ring, still kneeling on the ground.

“Ah!” she shouted in surprise. “Really? For me? Already?” She was all questions. She even switched to the trilling elven language. The elf was so flustered, but she was still beautiful as she did it in a sort of innocent and adorable way.

I thought this was what you were supposed to do when you met an elf. “Yes, for you.”

She took the ring out of my fingers and cradled it before looking at her hands like she couldn’t figure out the right finger to put it on. “I am stunned. Oh right. Yes.” She punctuated the ‘yes’ with as much enthusiasm as she could before she bit her lip and chose one of her fingers.

Was the ‘yes’ significant to their culture? I was confused, but there would be time later to clarify things.

An older voice came up from behind her and even without knowing the language, I just knew he was asking what was going on.

“Ah. This is my father. Father, I’ve met a human.” The young elf woman smiled at me, grabbed my hand and trilled in that singsong language, showing off the ring as if she really liked it. She grabbed my hand and pulled until I got up to my feet.

Maybe this was going well? I still wasn’t sure what was significant about rings in elven culture. Wracking my brain, there was nothing in our lessons about rings.

“I see.” The older man spoke slowly. “Are you okay with this?” He asked me.

I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I just wanted to help get them to the surface. “We’ve been waiting for you and your envoy. Crimson is my teacher, and I’m her personal protégé.” If ever there was a time to impress someone, now was it.

“Oh?” The man checked an object on his arm that looked like a gnarled root, but it had a screen that popped up much like a CID.

I realized from what little I could see; he was looking up the word.

“Oh.” He said again, sounding more impressed. “In that case, we are in good hands. If you would be so willing to lead us out? It is a low level of the dungeon, but we would rather disturb the dungeon as little as we need to.”

“Right, I have a gift for you.” Now that I was speaking to them, maybe the guard wouldn’t remove my head.

Using my CID, I pulled the little gift box that the UG had prepared for all of us out of my inventory.

“Thank you very much.” He accepted it with a brief ceremony. “But you’ve already taken an enormous gift from me.”

I must have had a puzzled expression on my face, because he chuckled.

Maybe he was stingy?

While we’d been talking, the rest of my part closed in on the group.

“Well, I’m Ken, this is Desmonda, Charlotte and Harley. We’ll lead you to the surface.” I said, mostly for the rest of my party’s benefit.

“Absolutely.” Charlotte nodded. “Welcome, I know the UG and everyone is excited to discuss things with you.”

The elf I was now assuming was the envoy gave a slight bow. “We are as well. Many things will be discussed over the coming days.” He said non-committally.

“I’m Fayeth.” The elf girl moved around her father and grabbed my hand, shaking it exaggeratingly. “I’ve been reading up on human customs. Thank you very much for the ring.” She had put it on her left ring finger and kept playing with it.

“No, thank you for coming to visit. I think Crimson plans to put you in our party, but at least we’ll have the same class together.” I tried to explain to her.

“Ah. Then it makes sense. Crimson is your mentor, and she planned this.” She look at the ring with a new light of understanding. “Okay, then. This makes sense if Crimson planned it.”

Her father nodded along. “Even to our people, Crimson is well known. She has saved more than a few of our own adventuring parties. If this is what she wants, then I accept.”

The two of them were being weird. I had to just assume it was an elven thing.

Suddenly I felt like we hadn’t studied elven customs well enough for me to be interacting with them so heavily.

What if I did something minor, and they interpreted it as some big thing?

That would be a colossal headache and I wasn’t sure even Crimson could protect me from the UG if I somehow ruined this relationship with the envoy.

“Wonderful.” Fayeth moved forward and grabbed my arm. “So we’ll be diving together in the dungeon, my Fieore?”

“Fieore?” I asked, likely butchering the elven word.

Her father coughed into his hand. “A partner in the dungeon.”

“Oh. Okay.” I shrugged it off.

They were really being odd. “Right, we are leading you out. This way.” I walked over and Fayeth clung to my arm.

Harley gave me the biggest raised eyebrow and smirk, but let it be. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you guys out. Just follow good ol’ reliable Harley.” She turned, and we hurried through the dungeon, avoiding the monsters as best as we could.

Unfortunately, Fayeth just wouldn’t let me go and I had to cast apologetic glances at Charlotte when we did fight, because I couldn’t join.

“Say, Fayeth, what class are you?” I tried to make conversation as her chest rubbed against my arm.

“I’m a Saintess. Among the elves, it is a revered class.” She said with a brilliant smile.

“Our family is distant royalty from the emperor’s line.” Her father explained. “Even then, Fayeth’s class brings us some additional clout because of her class’s connection to the Great Holy Tree.”

Fayeth just grinned at the praise. She was always smiling at one thing or another.

Though, her class sounded like a healer, or maybe a support.

It would be rough without a tank for our party. Crimson was unlikely to change things, though.

“What about you? What is your class?” She asked.

Hope swelled inside of me. Maybe she could have the answer I wanted. “Well, you see—“

Just then, before we even got to the exit of the dungeon, UG members were flooding out and making a grand entrance. They lined up on either side as VIPs walked down the center.

My words were cut off as I realized there was something far more important happening now.

Crimson came out with a brawny man crisscrossed with scars and Headmistress Marlow.

The emissary stepped forward to Crimson immediately, ignoring the other two. “It is a wonder to see you are well.”

“It is great to see you too.” Crimson looked past him to me and how Fayeth had herself hooked on my arm. “I see your daughter is getting along with my protégé.”

“Yes, he surprised me, but knowing he is yours, then I accepted the offer.” The elven emissary said to everyone’s slight confusion.

Crimson’s face told me I needed to explain, but I had no idea what it was I had asked of him. She played it off cooly. “You’ve had quite the journey, all the way to the 50th floor and back with your daughter in tow. That must have been taxing. Come, let’s go get all of you settled.”

Marlow was smiling, and it looked just creepy to me. Old curmudgeonly women don’t smile unless someone is dying. “Yes. Come. We have a house for you and you’ll be sharing it with Crimson and her protégé.”

Fayeth’s father tugged at her shoulder and she finally relented, letting go of my arm with a demure wave.

I could feel the rest of my party circling me as the fanfair moved on out of the dungeon and we were left behind.

“That was quick. You are unbelievably smooth, Ken.” Harley chuckled. “I thought you weren’t going for a harem.”

I pointed to Des and Charlotte. “I have them. Isn’t that a harem?”

“No, that’s just two. You’ll eventually need more for a harem.” Harley informed me, as if it was common knowledge.

“Fayeth was just being polite and elven.” I argued.

But by the way that Charlotte was looking at me, I realized maybe it wasn’t just elven etiquette. “Ken, she was flirting heavily with you.”

“Oh.” I scratched my cheek. “I thought that was just how she was. If you want, we can—“

Des raised her hand. “Don’t worry about it. She’s going to join our party, fill the last slot, and I have no issue with her as long as she’s in this for the long haul. I don’t know if she’s the elven equivalent of a flousy.”

“She said she was a saintess.” I pointed out. “Apparently, it is a big deal for the elves.”

“Fuck.” Harley spat. “She’s not a tank?”

“Well, I didn’t get that far, but with a name like Saintess, it doesn’t seem like she’d be one.” I wasn’t sure what we’d do with that. Three supports made for an unbalanced party.

“We’ll figure it out. Then, Ken, no getting serious with her until we know she’s going to be good for our party.” Charlotte pursed her lips.

“Scout’s honor.” I put my hand over my heart, then I looked back at the dungeon. “Do we head back in?”

“We only have…” Des checked her CID. “A little less than two hours before we’d need to be at dinner.” She sighed and shook her head. “It isn’t worth it to head back to the second floor and the boggarts just don’t even seem like a challenge anymore.”

“But we are getting close to the third level.” Charlotte frowned at her CID. “That Fayeth has to be at least level five after going that deep into the dungeon and back out.”

I realized now that Fayeth would spark some competition amongst our party.

“She probably had minimal participation.” Des pointed out.

“So, she’s so far ahead. Des, there’s now a third support. One of us is going to get cut.” Charlotte pointed out.

“Cut?” Harley squeaked into her flute. “Who said anything about cutting? If we get another support, don’t we just dress Ken up in a suit of armor?”

“I’m not wearing heavy armor.” I said. Being a tank was boring, anyway. But now wasn’t the time to have this argument. “Let’s go kill some boggarts. I bet you could take one without Bun-bun now, Charlotte, and their moss still sells well to the UG Harley. Don’t you have a dress you are saving up for?”

Having lit a fire in both of their eyes, Harley and Charlotte practically fought over each other to get to the next boggart.

“Not going to encourage me?” Des asked as we were left behind.

“Your goals are too far into the future. For now, both of us just need experience.” And I needed to figure out how to get the elves to crack open their knowledge to tell me what my class was, but I didn’t say that.

Des nodded. “Then, we should use the time we have, kill some stupid boggarts for at least some experience. At this rate, we’ll level up this week.”

Even though level two had taken us only a few days, level three was going to take us the better part of a week. It would only get more difficult from here.