Chapter 17: déjà vu?
[I overhauled the previous Danmachi x DnD status system I made. I am much more satisfied with the new one, so it should work better and have a more 'realistic' feeling in a Danmachi setting. The HP that endurance gives was also lowered, so that's why Durvekka suddenly has 78 max instead of 103. One last note, do you all prefer seeing monster HP and Durvekka's HP, only Durvekka's HP, or neither?]
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'Eina had mentioned that the fifth floor was filled with kobolds, dungeon lizards, and frog shooters appear on these floors... They spawn more often too.' She tightened her grip on her staff, ready for what might lay ahead.
"We're going to the fifth floor. Stay alert and hidden; the frog shooters might attack you on sight," she warned as Zeruk and Selara nodded in agreement.
With determination, she approached the stairs and cast another {Cure Wounds} before heading down.
[Durvekka: 60->78/78]
As she descended, the surroundings changed. The walls turned a light green while the previous blue lights ran down on the top corners of the walls had became greener too.
When she reached the fifth floor, she moved forward, making sure not to wander too far from the staircase. It wasn't long before she heard two hisses coming from one of the nearby rooms. She paused, then quickly jumped back as dust began to swirl around her.
[Dex save... unnatural 20, 18, 24 (Nat 20)]
With her staff ready, she took a cautious step back, letting the dust settle and revealing three lizards glaring at her with their red eyes.
'This feels oddly familiar,' she mused.
One of the lizards lunged at her, trying to bite her arm but ended up accidentally biting its own tongue. Durvekka glanced at it after it made a pained growl and thought, 'That poor lizard.'
[D. Lizard #1: 25->15]
At that moment of lost focus, the other two lizards darted past the injured one, each landing a scratch on her.
[Durvekka: 78->73->67]
Gripping her staff, she slammed it to her left, hitting a lizard right in the head. Shifting her body posture, she punched the same lizard right in the head.
[D. Lizard #2: 24->14->9]
She retracted her arm and jumped aside as the lizard tried to bite her hand, narrowly avoiding a claw swipe from the third lizard behind her. She then jumped forward on the lizard's head and leaped over it.
Once she landed on the ground, she turned and charged at the first lizard, thrusting her staff into its side. Just then, the second lizard jumped forward, scratching her back. She winced and turned around to punch it in the face.
'I need to get better at close combat and my combat awareness... I'm not skilled enough for a set of attacks yet,' she thought, focusing on the three lizards.
[D. Lizard #1: 15->4]
[Durvekka: 67->61]
Frustration grew on her face as she clenched her fists and sighed. Closing her eyes for a moment, she thrust her staff forward. When she opened her eyes, the third lizard was hit square in the face and knocked to the ground.
[D. Lizard #3: 24->5]
'Why am I lying to myself? My stats are higher than the minimum required I need for this floor... I've been holding back without realizing it,' she realized, noticing the first and third lizards crouching down. She adjusted her stance to dodge the first lizard's bite and raised her staff to slam it into the third lizard as it pounced at her, breaking its jaw with the force of her strike.
[D. Lizard #3: 5->-12]
The second lizard saw an opening and lunged at her side, biting her arm. Gritting her teeth, she punched it with all her strength, forcing it to let go.
[Durvekka: 61->43]
[D. Lizard #2: 9->-3]
Stepping back, she avoided the first lizard's next attack and brought her staff down hard onto its back. The impact broke its spine, leaving it lifeless on the floor.
[D. Lizard #1: 4->-15]
'...Why was I holding back my strength? And what is this feeling that I get when I see their lifeless body?' She thought as she hesitantly extracted their stones and stored them.
'...I'll put it at the back of my mind for now. I can't think about it while in the dungeon.' She thought as she pushed that feeling down.
She heard two hisses again and readied herself as she looked around. All she saw was a blur from the corner of her vision as her instinct took control, causing her to jump out of the way.
'Two lizards... I didn't expect them to spawn this quickly.' She thought as she quickly ran towards the left one. Holding her staff in her left hand, she slammed it at the right side of its face, spun her staff in her hand to build up some momentum, and slammed it down in one quick motion.
[D. Lizard #1: 28->15->0]
The second lizard quickly pushed its front legs up and slashed her arm as Durvekka squinted her eyes and elbowed its face and thrust her staff into its side as some of its ribs broke.
[D. Lizard #2: 32->22->2]
[Durvekka: 43->30]
She frowned slightly when she saw it was barely alive and finished it off with a swift thunk to the brain. She extracted their stones and extracted the first lizard's stone. When she walked to the second one, she squinted her eyes.
'It has some yellow lines across its scales... Its claws were sharper and its skin was tougher... I wonder why that is?' She thought as she used her knife and took out the stone.
The stone was slightly bigger than normal as she stored it with its slightly yellow scale.
'The next floor is the sixth floor... Frog Shooters and War Shadows...' She thought as she squinted her eyes.
'I'll stay here and fight a few frog shooters first to see how to deal with them.' She was about to leave the room when the walls started cracking and glowing as three kobolds began to emerge alongside a frog with one eye.
'...Whisper near her web and she shall emerge.' She thought as she glanced at the frog shooter.
She stayed vigilant and waited for the three kobolds to come close. She noticed the frog shooter opened its mouth and fired out its tongue as she tilted her body out of the way.
The three kobolds were now in front of her as she thrust her staff into the middle one's stomach and slightly jumped back, building up some momentum by spinning and slamming her staff into the kobold on her left. She then took a few steps back, causing the last kobold to miss, and punched it in its side.
[Kobold #2: 14->-4]
[Kobold #1: 12->-2]
[Kobold #3: 16->6]
After stepping to her right, she dodged another tongue attack but took a kick to her gut from the kobold as she stepped back a bit.
[Durvekka: 30->25]
'...Dodging from ranged and melee attacks is going to be difficult but doable.' She thought as she finished the kobold off with a back shot as its spine cracked a bit from her fist. She then rushed towards the frog and dodged another tongue as she slammed her staff onto its head, pulled her staff back after making contact, and thrust it into its eye as it went lifeless.
[Kobold #3: 6->-6]
[Frog Shooter: 25->7->-12]
She extracted their stones but struggled a bit with finding the frog shooter's. After storing everything, she cast {Cure Wounds} twice on herself as she sat there for a bit and stared at the ceiling, looking at Zeruk and Selara with a soft smile.
[Durvekka: 25->39->56]
'...I am being too hasty...' She thought with a soft sigh.
'I first need to figure out this... hurt I feel when killing dungeon lizards... and monsters... creatures. Otherwise, this hesitation could get me killed.' She stood off with a nod to herself as she waved at the two on the ceiling who nodded back happily.
"We will stay on this floor for a bit longer and then return to the surface. I am not in a good enough condition to confidently take on killer ants and War Shadows without the use of magic." She told them as she stood up when she heard the walls cracking open. She walked up to one of the cracks as a kobold emerged from it and slammed her staff against its skull as it fell limp. She turned around after hearing their growls and noticed four other kobolds charging at her.
She gripped her staff as she waited for them. The middle left kobold leapt into the air with its maw open wide. Durvekka simply whacked it out of the air as it crashed onto the floor.
She then pulled back her arm and thrust it forward as it hit the middle right kobold square in the face, causing it to fall to the floor.
The two that were left were on each of her sides as they each tried to slash at her with their claws. She walked to the side to dodge two claw swipes from her right and gave it a right hook the moment it lowered its head, but at that moment when she lost focus, the kobold on her left caused two claws to scratch her back.
[Durvekka: 56->51->46]
She narrowed her eyes as she finished off the kobold she punched with her staff and turned around towards the final kobold. She saw an odd sense of determination in its eyes...
'...This one is close to gaining its clarity... At least that's what it feels like. It's a shame my {Speak with Animals} doesn't work on humanoids.' She sighed in remorse as she saw it charge towards her and gave it one quick blow to its skull as it cracked under the pressure of the staff.
Watching it fall to the ground, she caught it and carefully laid it on the floor.
"...We can go back to the surface now..." She said softly as she hesitantly took out her dagger and extracted its stone. Surprisingly, a nail appeared in its stead.
She picked it up and placed it inside one of her empty herb pouches. With a soft yet sad and guilty smile, she collected all the stones and walked back to the stairs. Her thoughts were unknown as Zeruk and Selara looked at her worryingly.
"{...I wonder how we can help cheer big sis up.}" Selara glanced at Zeruk, who shook his head.
"{I don't know... Maybe big sister's big sister could cheer her up?}"
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Chapter 18: Going Back.
She didn't stray too far from the fifth-floor stairs, so she quickly walked back before the monster spawned again.
She was more relaxed on the fourth floor as she walked through the rooms since they spawned a lot less frequently.
About halfway toward the stairs, she had her first encounter as she heard a hiss and instantly jumped forward. A single lizard in front of her, along with two goblins and two kobolds, appeared from the walls.
Readying her staff, the lizard pounced again, its jaw open wide. Durvekka ducked under it and thrust her staff upward into its abdomen. As it landed on the floor, she finished it off with a blow to the skull.
[D. Lizard: 20->5->-14]
The two kobolds and two goblins finally reached her as she ducked and weaved out of all their attacks, most of them barely scraping her armor. She punched one of the goblins in the face, killing it with a slightly indented skull, weaved from a kobold's claws, and elbowed its stomach as it coughed up blood and crumbled to the floor.
[Goblin #1: 13->-2]
[Kobold #1: 14->1]
She spun her staff and slammed it into the remaining goblin's collarbone, jumped back to dodge the standing kobold, spun around, and arced her staff upward to strike the back of its neck.
[Goblin #2: 15->-3]
[Kobold #2: 16->-3]
The only one still moving was the one she elbowed, as it struggled to stand up. She took a deep breath, finished it off quickly, extracted their stones, and stored them alongside one scale, fang, and nail.
[Kobold #1: 1->-13]
She continued marching forward toward the stairs, only to be interrupted by a group of two goblins that she easily dispatched.
On the third floor, there was only a group of three kobolds, and on the second floor, she found none.
The first floor had only a group of two goblins, and she finally made it outside the dungeon.
Selara and Zeruk were right by her side and calmly walked with her outside Babel, back toward the guild.
Most adventurers were on edge as they watched the D. Lizards, but they didn't do anything when they noticed their armbands.
The trio made their way toward Eina as she smiled and waved at them.
"Welcome back," she said happily. All three nodded at her, and Durvekka smiled.
'...Did those lizards nod at my words?' she thought, while Durvekka ignored her slightly confused look as she took out a stone and a slightly yellow scale.
"I fought a lizard that was a bit stronger than the rest. It dropped this stone and this scale, which looks more yellow. Do you know why that is?" Eina nodded her head as she readjusted her glasses to take a better look.
"That was a heightened species. They are monsters who ate magic stones and grew stronger from it," Eina explained as she stared at the scale.
"They usually drastically change in appearance after consuming a lot of stones. The one you fought might have been in its beginner stages." Durvekka nodded as her thoughts drifted a bit.
'...So I can forcibly make monsters stronger to improve my sta- No... That would be too cruel to them.' She stopped herself as she stored the stone and scale again. But Zeruk and Selara seemed to have listened intently as their eyes became more determined.
"I also made it to the fifth floor today, where I found that lizard... and I won't be going into the dungeon tomorrow." Durvekka said softly as Eina nodded with a caring smile.
"Rest is just as important, so that would only help you in the end. You can also buy yourself some equipment if you have the money for it. I am sure Miss Naaza can help you find suitable yet affordable sets."
"...Mh." Durvekka smiled as she looked at her staff. It had been with her for most of her life, but it isn't indestructible as its edges are becoming more splintered.
'...I wonder if it can be salvaged to make a better weapon... maybe a spear would work,' she thought, as she said, "Thank you... Is there any advice you have on War Shadows and Killer Ants?"
Eina thought for a bit and said, "War Shadows are simply strong and spawn in groups because they are on the sixth floor... The best way to kill them would be to have your guard up all the time and focus on lowering their numbers while conserving your strength. The key problem with them is when they are already spawned without you noticing. The rooms are lit, but there are some darker areas, so be careful of them ambushing you."
"The Killer Ants are durable with sharp mandibles. Their main problem is that they can release a distress signal to bring more ants to their location. The best way to deal with them is to kill them on sight as fast as possible before you get overrun by them."
"...Alright, thank you for your help." Durvekka nodded and was about to walk away when Eina stopped her.
"You still need to take your valis from earlier." She said as Durvekka halted and took the pouch from her.
"Thank you," Durvekka muttered once more, picked up the pouch, and walked toward the exchange line. She waited for a while before exchanging her stones and dropped items.
All of them excluding one kobold nail.
In the end, she got a total of thirteen thousand valis, which included the three thousand she got earlier.
'...I wonder what I should do with all this valis... I don't think upgrading my equipment would use all of it.' she thought as she walked away, back to their shop.
She cast {Speak with Animals} as they walked when she heard the two talking about how pretty the blue sky is.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked them as they nodded. They heard her casting a spell and assumed that it was {Speak with Animals}.
"{It is... I wonder what the others would say when they witness this place,}" Zeruk muttered as Selara nodded her head.
"{They would be speechless is my guess,}" she said as she stared at the clouds. Some in different shapes, such as a puffy dog, faces, or even mountains, while most looked like cauliflower.
While the trio couldn't see the resemblances as none of them had seen mountains, those animals, or even a cauliflower.
To them, it was simply a beautiful view of a bright blue sky with nice white clouds sprinkled across it.
Durvekka smiled and patted their heads as she started walking to the shop again with Selara and Zeruk following her from behind.
"I'll show all of you the forest after we visit my familia. There is plenty of time left before it gets dark." They tilted their heads a little at the unfamiliar word but nodded nonetheless, excited at what this forest could entail.
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Opening the door to enter the store, Naaza looked up and saw Durvekka with a small smile on her face. She felt relieved when she saw Durvekka as a lazy smile drew on her face.
"Welcome back," she said lazily, but her expression froze when Durvekka walked inside with two Dungeon Lizards walking behind her.
A few images flashed through her mind as fear slowly riddled her face.
"Naaza?" Durvekka spoke her name, but she gave no reaction. So Durvekka walked in front of Selara and Zeruk. With her line of sight moderately broken, Naaza blinked a few times, her expression ridden with fear as she stuttered, "W-why do you have monsters w-with you?" The fear was evident in her voice as she absentmindedly touched her right arm.
"...They are my new friends I made in the dungeon... I am able to talk to these two thanks to a magic spell." Durvekka explained as Naaza took a few deep breaths to calm down.
"...Do you fear monsters?" Durvekka tilted her head slightly as she looked at the arm Naaza was clutching. It was the only arm covered with a long sleeve and a glove.
"...Yes..." Naaza responded softly and shakily.
"Mh, I understand. But there is nothing to worry about." Durvekka moved to the side as both lizards came into full view.
"They aren't monsters at all." Naaza narrowed her eyes as she tried to maintain her composure.
"They came from the dungeon."
"And so did I."
"...What do you mean?"
"I was born underground and lived in a place called the Underdark. When I fell asleep, I woke up in another cave. After exploring the place and leaving the 'cave', it turned out to be the dungeon." Durvekka explained and looked at Naaza, who was about to say something before Durvekka continued.
"I can understand, learn, and speak, yet as far as I know, I was born inside the dungeon. Does that make me a monster?" Naaza looked at her for a bit.
"...No," she said softly, making Durvekka smile again.
"Then they aren't either. They can understand and learn... although speaking might be an issue." She chuckled slightly as the two lizards looked at her, a fire burning in their eyes.
"{No worries big sis! We will learn how to speak for Naaza sis!}" Selara said with determination.
"...Why are you so confident that they won't suddenly attack us?"
"Look into their eyes and tell me what you see." Naaza looked at their eyes, expecting a sea of hatred and viciousness...
But that isn't what she saw. They were eyes of innocence, curiosity, longing, and determination.
The fear in her heart remained unchanged, but she nodded her head as she muttered,
"...They aren't monsters." After her words left her mouth, she noticed that they were slightly shaking and their tails were slightly wagging from left to right. A smile slowly crept onto her face.
'Are they that happy?' She thought as she saw Durvekka turning to them and petting their heads.
'...I'll try and get along with them,' she thought as the fear slowly left her body. Her trauma was still rooted deep, but it was a start.
Unbeknownst to them, Miach was in the hallway, listening to their conversation. A smile on his face as he calmly turned around and walked back to the kitchen.
'I wonder what Zeruk and Selara would want to eat?' he thought to himself. Two meals were already prepared on the table, while a third plate was covered in foil to keep the food warm. He took out two more plates from the cabinet and placed them on the kitchen counter.
"This familia of mine is growing faster than I thought." He looked down at the two plates and chuckled slightly.
"I wonder what I should put their food in?"
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Chapter 19: Plans for the future.
"This is Zeruk and this is Selara." Durvekka pointed at the lizards with their corresponding names as they lifted their heads in pride.
"...It's good to meet you two." Naaza smiled slightly, a bit of fear still hidden in her eyes.
The two lizards nodded at her while waving one of their front legs.
"I am going to introduce them to Miach and then take them outside to the forest." Naaza nodded her head.
"Miach-sama is making dinner, so you can stay a bit longer and join us."
"Mh, I will." She walked down the hall and went to the kitchen. She watched Miach standing by the counter, taking a few plates from the cabinets.
"This familia of mine is growing faster than I thought." He looked down at the two plates and chuckled slightly.
"I wonder what I should put their food in?" He muttered as he tried to think about it.
"You already know about them?" Durvekka asked as she tilted her head to the side. Her voice caused Miach to turn around with a soft smile.
"I overheard the conversation when I wanted to call Naaza for dinner." Durvekka nodded her head as she looked at the two lizards.
"What do you two eat?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side.
"{...I don't know, I usually die before we feel anything like hunger... I think the magic stones inside of us are what keep us sustained.}" Selara said thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't that mean that the magic inside the stone would break after its magic is drained?" she asked with concern when Miach interjected from the side.
"It has been studied that monsters absorb the surrounding mind—or mana, as you call it—and can use that to keep their stones intact." Durvekka let out a sigh of relief.
"Are they able to eat normal food?" Miach nodded, but was a bit hesitant.
"I believe so... The dungeon has a few fail-safes for when a floor gets so overpopulated that they start killing and eating each other. I believe they then convert that into mind too..." He slowly frowned as he shook his head.
"I apologize, Selara and Zeruk, but I think I'll ask Ganesha first before making food for the two of you. I don't want you two to die because of my incompetence." They both nodded as Miach placed the two plates on top of each other and slid them to the side.
He then walked to the two and crouched down as he patted their heads.
"You two shouldn't be disheartened by Naaza. She has had a troubling past with creatures of the dungeon, so give her some space when she needs it." They both nodded as Miach's smile became warmer.
"Welcome to my familia. I'll see if I can make some space for the two of you to stay." The two hissed in content and glee.
Durvekka could hear them sob from happiness as she smiled.
'...A family.' She thought as she closed her eyes with a smile on her face. A few images flashed in her mind as she remembered all the creatures she had killed in the dungeon, and her smile slowly thinned out.
'...They are going to remember me as the adventurer who killed them when they get reborn...' she thought as she clutched the nail of a kobold. A sense of guilt welled up inside her as she pushed it down.
'But... I won't be able to save them without killing them... Unless I get stronger, strong enough to learn spells to help them...' But she came to a sudden realization.
'...But what about the dungeon itself? No matter how many I save, it will keep birthing more and more of them as the cycle repeats. So what should I do?' She gritted her teeth slightly as Miach held her shoulder.
"I don't know what you're thinking about, but remember that you are part of my familia. Naaza, me, and now these two will help where we can," Miach said, and she nodded her head.
"The creatures in the dungeon aren't all monsters and are in a constant state of suffering... When they are killed by adventurers, they go through a reincarnation process just to get killed again. From what Selara told me, they gain a sense of longing over time, and that is when they gain 'clarity' and break free from the dungeon's webs. The problem with this is that the creatures that haven't gained clarity would also start hunting the ones that have."
"This would mean that adventurers and other creatures are hunting them while they aren't able to protect themselves." Miach nodded his head.
"And you want to help them?" She nodded her head.
"I am able to speak with the more animalistic ones, which is how I was able to help Selara and Zeruk... But the problem I just realized is no matter how many I can save, the dungeon would keep birthing more." Miach frowned slightly as he nodded his head in understanding.
"The only way to 'destroy' the dungeon is probably by going to its core on the lowest floor, but no one has ever gotten that far, nor do we know how close we are to the last floor... I think the best we can do for now is set up a safe haven for them on the surface for the ones that gain clarity naturally." Durvekka nodded her head as she took a seat at the table.
"...Alright..." Miach smiled as he said, "This also means that you need to get stronger before we start. I want you to know that countless adventurers have died in the dungeon and lost countless loved ones in the process. Not only that, but they see the dungeon and its inhabitants as a means to gain money, strength, and fame."
"...So I need the strength in order to protect them too." Miach nodded his head.
"Most would be unsatisfied with the outcome of 'monsters' living amongst themselves, so strength should help you protect them. The other key point would be to get the top familias on your side." Durvekka nodded her head.
"...But in order to get their attention, I need to show my worth and have something that they would want too." Durvekka spoke to herself, a smile slowly forming on her face.
"What's the highest level currently in the city?"
"Level 7, which is Ottar from the Freya familia." She nodded her head and asked, "How many level-six adventurers are in the city?"
"Very few. For example, it takes a level one an average of five to ten years to become level two, while most don't even get the chance to become a level two. The fastest level-up in history was the sword princess, who took one year to get to level two."
"Was?" She tilted her head.
"Of course, you're already ready to level up after your second day of diving. Whenever you update your falna again, it will probably be your last day as a level one." She nodded her head slightly.
"How come I gain my stats so quickly?"
"It might be because of [Druid]." She nodded her head slightly as she asked, "What are the limits of magic?"
"Most people are only limited to the use of three spells, with the exception of two members of the Loki Familia. Most mages are stuck with only two spells, as the third requires the use of a grimoire, a book that grants the user a spell." She nodded her head as she thought, '...With such a limited selection, does that mean their spells are much stronger?'
"...There was a group of adventurers who were shocked by my spells being fast. Why is that?" she asked once more. She had only used two spells, {Entangle} and {Thorn Whip}, so it shouldn't have been that out of the ordinary.
"That is because your magic is quick, and you can do it while fighting, which is called concurrent chanting. Most mages have an extremely long chant that requires a few minutes of constant chanting to use, and they have to stand still to focus on chanting said spell."
"...Can't they quicken the chant?" Miach shook his head.
"That is very difficult to do and could cause Ignis Fatuus, which is when their magic power goes out of control and explodes. Not only that, if the mage is successful, it might lower the damage and potency of the spell as well." She twitched her lips as she slowly nodded her head.
"So my 'value' is already extremely high," she said softly.
"Yes, but that also places a target on your back, where other familias will attempt to either recruit you or force you to join them. They already know about your [Wild Shape] and ability to 'tame' monsters as a level one." She frowned slightly at this.
"Is it better if I level up now as a form of protection?" Miach shook his head.
"Even if our familia is broke, Naaza is still a level three, so that should deter most adventurers from bothering you in public. The only problem will be those in the dungeon." She nodded her head.
"I can cast {Pass without a trace} to sneak through the floors. It masks my traces and silences any noise I make enough for a non-mage tracker to detect me." Miach nodded as Durvekka thought, 'I still need to be careful, as it doesn't make me invisible.'
"...I see. One last question. What is the current state of potions? What is their importance, and are we only limited to making healing potions?"
"There are healing and mind potions. They are extremely valuable, especially the higher-quality ones, with mind potions being high in demand for mages as they stop them from fainting from mind zero."
"Is 'mind zero' when you run out of mana?" Miach nodded. "When you use too much mind in a spell or run empty, you will faint or possibly die if you exhaust your entire reserves." She nodded her head and asked, "...Has anyone ever created a potion with special properties, like turning the drinker invisible or giving them a strength boost?"
"No, but with the mixing development ability, nothing is impossible," Miach said as he closed one of his eyes and smiled at her.
"What is that?" His smile froze slightly as he was about to explain but realized the food was getting cold. "It... we should eat first before we continue; the food will get cold. Naaza and you are probably starving," he chuckled slightly.
"Hm, I'll get Naaza." Miach shook his head as he stopped her from standing up. "You're already seated; let me get her for dinner." She looked at him and sat back down with a nod.
The two lizards lay next to her, resting while listening to the conversation.
"{Is he big bro or papa? Familia is close to family, and he is the leader of it.}" Selara asked Zeruk, who went deep in thought as he considered her words.
"{...That is a good question... I think he would be our dad now instead of big brother.}" Selara nodded.
"{And sis Naaza? She seems to have been in this familia longer than big sis. Wouldn't that make her big sis' big sis too?}"
"{Mh, there's no problem with having multiple big sisters.}"
"{That's true, so that means we have one dad, one mom, and three big sises!}" she yelled excitedly.
"{Mh, I can't wait until we get to be the others' big sister and big brother.}" Selara nodded rapidly.
"{That would be the best!}"
Durvekka was none the wiser as her spell's ten-minute duration ran out while she was talking to Miach.
With Naaza now sitting at the table, eating her food, Durvekka asked the question again while nibbling on a piece of steak.
"So, what is a development ability?" Miach explained between bites, making sure not to talk with his mouth full of food.
"When someone becomes level two, they can choose a development ability that improves a certain category of their skills. For example, if the mage's ability is chosen, then their magic gets strengthened. They also range from I to S rank and rank up the stronger you get." Durvekka nodded her head and asked,
"Then how do I have [Druid] as a development ability at level one?" She asked as Naaza nearly choked on her food. She sat next to Miach, who lightly hit her back as she coughed.
"Are you alright?" he asked while she nodded slowly. Seeing that she was fine, he answered Durvekka's question.
"As you said, you could use your magic before you gained your falna. That would mean you were a Druid before gaining a falna or had the potential to be one." Durvekka nodded her head, while Naaza froze at Miach's words.
"By choosing a development ability, is it a list we can pick from? And are some locked behind levels?"
"Depending on your accomplishments before and after you gain your falna, it would depend on what development abilities show. Also, keep in mind that some are locked behind levels, such as [Hunter], which can only be picked at level two."
"I see... What does [Hunter] do?" She asked as she thought, 'If it's a really good ability, then I have no choice but to get it.'
"It temporarily improves your stats against creatures you've gained excelia from before. To acquire it, you need to kill multiple creatures in a short time period." She frowned slightly and asked,
"Wouldn't that skill be bad? The more challenging the fight is, the more excelia you gain. So wouldn't this ability be more bad than good?"
"That is true, but that challenge wouldn't matter if you die," Miach reminded her.
"...Hmm." She nodded as she became absentminded while eating.
"Are you thinking about what ability to choose?" Naaza asked, feeling a bit left out of the conversation.
"Hm, I want an idea of what to choose for when the time comes. I already know that something magic-related, brewing-related, and something related to fighting with a staff would show up... But a close-quarters magic option could also appear..." As she answered Naaza, she slowly started muttering to herself, wondering about what options could appear.
Naaza shook her head slightly, but her muttering piqued her curiosity as she asked Miach, "What does she mean by 'close-quarters' magic?"
Miach chuckled slightly. "I can't tell you what's on her falna without her permission." Naaza pouted as he smiled.
"But I can tell you that she can use concurrent casting." Naaza was shocked as she looked at Durvekka.
'I guess that makes sense, she did have magic before gaining her falna... I also saw the guild notice that she can turn into an Al-Mi'raj... Didn't she gain her falna a few days ago?' She scratched her head when Durvekka's earlier words resurfaced in her mind.
'She said she could talk with... Selara and Zeruk with her magic too, so would that mean she has at least two spells? Or would it be more since she had magic before her falna?' She thought as she glanced at the smiling Miach, who was enjoying his meal, and then back at Durvekka, who was nibbling on her food while deep in thought.
She shook her head as she smiled and continued to eat her food too. '...At least we have a better chance of escaping our debt.'
==================================================
Chapter 20: Stepped on its web.
All three of them ate calmly, enjoying the familial atmosphere. As they finished dinner, Durvekka said, "I am going to visit the forest with them for a bit."
As she stood up, Miach stopped her and said, "It's already getting late. The guards won't allow you to go out at this time with Selara and Zeruk." She frowned and lowered her head.
"...Alright..." She slowly sat back down while Miach smiled warmly at her reaction.
"You can take them around the city and explore." Her mood quickly improved as she nodded with a smile.
Naaza chuckled softly on the side as Durvekka walked outside with the two lizards right behind her.
'I can't tell if she is a kid or older than me,' she thought as Miach took their plates and placed them on the counter.
"What do you think about them?" he asked her as she looked at him.
"The mon- Selara and Zeruk?" she corrected herself as he nodded.
"...I don't know. It's hard to see them as anything other than... monsters. But I know they aren't." Miach smiled at her comfortingly.
"I understand. You know they mean you no harm, but your experiences are making you question them." She lowered her head slightly as Miach continued.
"It will take time, but you have to face your fears by getting closer to them too." She nodded hesitantly as she clutched her right arm.
"...There is something else we have to talk about..." She looked up at and saw a serious expression on his face.
"...It's about Selara and Zeruk's origins. Durvekka told me about them and her goals for the future."
"The creatures of the dungeon might not be the monsters they are made out to be."
--------------
Durvekka walked along the hall and noticed that she had misplaced her valis. She checked the storefront and didn't see it there, so she walked back and found her door room open.
When she walked inside, she found the bag on her bed.
'Naaza must have placed it here,' she thought with a small smile. She filled a smaller pouch with some valis and placed it inside her satchel.
She then placed the rest on her desk, walked to the front of the store, and left with Selara and Zeruk.
The sun was going down, but there was still time as they wandered off to explore the dungeon city, Orario. Adventurers were walking toward their familias' homes—some with frustration on their faces, while others were smiling.
She walked along one of the main roads, and she and the lizards looked around with curiosity.
'I have been here for a few days now, but this place still looks fascinating,' she thought as she glanced at the tower.
'But I wonder why I still feel that slight constricting feeling,' she frowned slightly as she walked and looked at the few shops near the Blue Pharmacy, the name of Miach's store.
'Bear's Rest... Jewel's Delight... Hostess of Fertility?' She looked at the odd name and decided to take a peek inside. She was on edge, but seeing that almost all of the adventurers were visiting the place made her curious.
She walked inside and heard a series of laughter from a group of adventurers on the side. She recognized them as the group she had saved before and smiled softly, noticing they were doing alright.
"Welcome to the Hostess of nYA-" A brown-haired catkin shrieked slightly when she noticed the two lizards.
She was wearing their standard waitress uniform, which consisted of a green, above-the-knee dress with long puffed sleeves and a white collar, complemented by a white apron and headband. A small orange bow was placed under the collar, while black leggings and short brown ankle boots completed the outfit.
"Hm?" Durvekka turned around, tilted her head, and bowed slightly when she heard her.
"Sorry if they scared you." The cat girl waved her hands and said, "It's fine, I wasn't scared. I was just surprised to see monsters outside of the dungeon is all." Durvekka's lips twitched slightly at her words as she nodded.
"I am new to Orario and just wanted to ask what this... shop? is about." The catkin smiled as she slung her arm around Durvekka's shoulder.
"This is the Hostess of Fertility, nya~! The highest quality of food is served here every day! We even have amazing booze, wine, and liquor that are Loki-sama approved!" she said with a grin as she used her right arm to point at all the happy customers eating.
"I see. Sadly, I already ate dinner, but I will come back tomorrow to see what the food here tastes like," Durvekka nodded, trying her hardest to keep her fight-or-flight instincts under control.
'She seems physically stronger than me,' she thought.
"Why do you keep saying 'nya' at the end of each sentence?" The brown-haired girl whispered close to her ear.
"It brings in more customers, nya~"
Durvekka nodded as she thought, 'I should tell Naaza. Maybe more people would buy potions if it's true...'
The brown-haired catkin couldn't help but chuckle when she noticed the strangely colored dwarf taking her seriously.
"Are Selara and Zeruk allowed inside the pub?" Durvekka asked, pointing at the two lizards calmly standing their ground.
They seemed slightly prideful from all the glances and stares they and Durvekka were receiving.
"{Witness Big Sis's greatness!}" Selara said as Zeruk shook his head, staring at his sister.
"They have the guild's insignia, so you can bring them inside. But if they cause any problems for the customers or break anything, that would come out of your wallet," a middle-aged woman with brown hair and brown eyes said from the counter. She wore the same attire as the other waitresses, but hers was blue, and she didn't wear a headband.
"Hm, thank you." Durvekka carefully removed the catkin's arm from her shoulder and gave her a, "Thank you," as well. She waved at Liam's group as she left.
Most of the adventurers were talking about the strange dwarf and recognized her as a possibly new rising star.
"Do you think she might beat the Sword Princess's record?" Liam asked the two as they watched her leave the pub. Rodrick shook his head, "What makes you think that?"
"You saw what she did in the dungeon, and that was before she joined a familia. Include her ability to tame monsters and her shifting ability... I think she might be able to beat that one-year record in eleven months," he said as he drank his beer.
"It's possible... I'm just worried about her safety," Selene said with her head on the table.
"With all the crazy stuff she can do at level one, the other gods will get curious about her potential and all the extra stuff she might be hiding... Let's just hope it doesn't lead to a war game." Liam and Rodrick nodded, both looking concerned, but they seemed resolved.
"If it comes down to it, we would help her," Liam said, but Selene looked up at him from the table.
"Us three level ones?" Rodrick lightly smacked her head.
"Why do you have to be such a depressive drunk? We are here to celebrate almost catching a Jack Bird. That, in itself, is an achievement," he said as Selene grumbled.
"'Almost' won't help the current hole in our wallets from being here."
'That was a strange worker,' Durvekka thought as she walked along the path toward Babel, walked outside one of the other exits, and continued along the main road.
She noticed a big building to her right and walked closer. She saw an emblem with two crossed hammers over an erupting volcano.
There were multiple smaller workshops around the building as she walked through the area.
'...This must be a smithing familia...' she thought, refocusing on the hammers and flames on the emblem. She looked around and noticed that almost no one was wandering nearby. The few people she spotted either had broken weapons, looked like adventurers, or were dirty and sweaty.
She walked back out, not wanting to bother the smiths with their work at that moment.
'Dian Cecht Pharmacy... Three Hammers Forge... Oh, there's Eina's apartment.'
'She's probably still at the guild.' She cast {Speak with Animals} and wandered further.
"This place is pretty big," she said as Selara and Zeruk nodded.
"{I wonder how long it took to build it}" Zeruk said, looking at all the buildings, mostly focusing on a manor he saw in the distance past the stalls.
"I wonder the same..." She was about to buy some Jagamarukun but decided against it.
'I don't want to eat in front of them. They might feel left out,' she thought, glancing at the store owner. She walked up to him. He was a middle-aged man with black hair, some of it turning white.
'Miach wanted to ask Ganesha about Selara and Zeruk's diet... Maybe I can ask him instead. That way, we can enjoy the food stalls too,' she thought with a smile as she asked,
"Do you know where I can find Ganesha?" The middle-aged man noticed her smile and returned it with a kind smile of his own, giving her directions.
"Past the Twilight Manor, turn left. Once you see a library called 'Lexicon,' go right. Follow the path, and the statue of Ganesha-sama should be visible—that's their home."
"Hm, thank you." She smiled as she walked off and followed his directions.
'He added 'sama,' so I assume Ganesha is a god as well,' she thought but noticed a woman with long, golden-blonde hair and gold eyes. She was wearing white and black battle cloth with black arm covers and long blue boots. Over this, she wore arm guards, knee guards, hip guards, a head guard, and a breastplate.
What caught her eye the most was the rapier the woman was gripping tightly at her side, her eyes focused on Zeruk and Selara.
[Rolling insight... 7]
Durvekka couldn't discern her intentions from her blank expression... but there was something in her eyes...
It was unsettling.
After walking in front of Selara and Zeruk, the woman blinked a few times and looked at Durvekka.
"...Sorry," she muttered softly, then turned around and walked toward the Jagamarukun stall.
"{I don't like her,}" Selara muttered, looking at the blonde girl. Zeruk nodded.
"{She's dangerous,}" Zeruk said as Durvekka nodded.
They turned around and followed the middle-aged man's instructions toward the Ganesha Familia.
'I should make the guild insignia more visible,' Durvekka thought as she glanced at their bands.
They were walking at a relaxed pace, enjoying the soft wind against their skin/scales. It took a while, but the statue of Ganesha finally came into view.
It was a giant, muscular statue with an elephant mask covering the top half of his face... with the entrance to the "building" being at the statue's crotch.
Durvekka paid it no mind and approached one of the people walking out of the place. "Do you know where I can find Ganesha?" she asked. The girl she addressed jumped lightly when she heard her.
"Sorry for startling you." Durvekka lowered her head slightly when the black-haired girl said, "Uhm, it's fine... Why do you want to meet Ganesha-sama?"
"I want to ask him if it is fine to feed Selara and Zeruk, and what kind of food is safe for them," she said, pointing at the two lizards.
The girl nodded understandingly. "I can take you to him," she said, still a bit shy as Durvekka tilted her head slightly, noticing the girl's cheeks becoming slightly red.
"Are you alright?"
"Y-yes... I'm just not good with people," she stuttered softly as she led her inside the Ganesha statue.
====================================================
Chapter 21: The 'spider' noticed.
Durvekka walked with her into the statue. Durvekka couldn't understand how it looked bigger on the inside. The entrance led into a vast hall with towering ceilings supported by massive stone pillars carved to resemble Ganesha's likeness, their faces staring in the doorway's direction. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of leather. Light filtered in through narrow windows set high up, casting long shadows on the polished stone floors.
To their left, they could see rows of training pens where creatures were kept, some pacing restlessly, while others lay calmly in their enclosures. The distant sound of beasts growling and trainers calling out commands echoed throughout the hall. To the right, a long corridor stretched toward a massive armory, the walls adorned with shields bearing the familia's elephant emblem, and racks of weapons gleaming under the faint light.
Durvekka focused her sight on their pens. A sense of dissatisfaction and unease welled up inside her as she looked at their cages, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it.
None of them seemed to have 'clarity,' at least not that she could notice.
"What are those creatures?" she asked, pointing at the large monkey covered in white and silver fur.
"A-ah. T-those are Silverbacks. They are found on floors eleven to twelve." The girl jumped slightly at the question.
"And the ones over there?" Durvekka pointed toward the armadillo-like creature. It seemed bigger, and its shell looked a bit bulkier and more metallic.
"T-those are Hard Armors, found on floors eleven to thirteen," she said as she walked toward an enormous spiral staircase that wound upwards.
The familia members looked at Durvekka, Zeruk, and Selara curiously. They recognized her as the 'Magic Tamer' with the ability to change into animals and a powerful taming skill.
They knew about her changing ability from the guild notice, but the claims they'd heard about her taming ability seemed to hold some weight.
As they looked at the two lizards, they noticed they weren't aggressive at all. Not only that, but they also noticed how the lizards were looking around and nodding every now and then.
"...It looks like those rumors about her taming have some weight," one of the tamers said as he stretched. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with black hair and a well-trimmed beard.
"What makes you say that?" a woman beside him asked. She stood with an air of quiet confidence, dressed in an orange tunic with black leggings and silver gauntlets. Her short dark blue hair and the small golden accessory in her hair made her stand out.
"It's the way those Dungeon Lizards are acting. Normally, monsters instinctively sense strong adventurers nearby, which would make them flee."
"Those two monsters don't seem to care in the slightest... While the one on that dwarf's right seems to focus most of its attention on the familia members. It even glanced at you a few times, Captain." He rubbed his beard with interest.
"It's a shame she's already in a familia... Maybe she could give me some pointers," he thought out loud as his captain looked at her and the lizards with interest.
"You can continue caring for the monsters as I instructed you."
"As you wish," he said as he saw his captain walking toward Durvekka.
-------
"Where are you going, Esha?" the captain asked the girl, who looked like her soul had left her body from the shock.
"I-I... Uhm." She stuttered, not knowing what to say from the sudden confrontation, while Durvekka tilted her head at the girl's reaction.
"She was taking me to Ganesha," Durvekka answered in her stead.
"Why do you want to meet him?" she asked sternly, placing her arms on her hips.
"To ask what suitable diet would fit for Selara and Zeruk... and if they are allowed to eat normal food."
She nodded. "Ganesha is currently busy with personal matters. Is it fine if I answer your question on that matter?"
"If you have the knowledge to do so, then please do," Durvekka said, bowing slightly.
"I am Shakti Varma, the captain of the Ganesha familia," she introduced herself.
"I am Durvekka Stonebloom, a member of the Miach familia," Durvekka said, copying Shakti's formal tone.
The girl beside them regained her composure and sent a thankful glance at Durvekka as she slowly stepped to the side and walked away.
"These two are also new members of the familia, Selara and Zeruk... Do you two want my last name too?" she asked them. They nodded happily, and Selara yelled, "{Yes!}" while Zeruk stayed quiet after his nod and glanced at Shakti. Their eyes met as he squinted slightly.
"{Keep your guard up, big sister... She is strong.}" Selara copied Durvekka's head tilt. "{How can you tell?}"
"{I'm not sure... It's the same feeling I had with that blonde girl from the stalls.}" Durvekka nodded at him, while Shakti looked slightly confused at their antics.
"...Can you talk to them?" Shakti asked, while Durvekka simply ignored the question and reintroduced them.
"This is Zeruk Stonebloom, and this is Selara Stonebloom," she said with a small smile.
"..." Shakti stayed quiet for a bit, staring at Durvekka, who stared back at her. It looked strange to the others, as Durvekka was 4'3" and Shakti was 5'9".
"...Ignore my previous question; it was rude of me to ask about an adventurer's abilities," she said, continuing, "Monsters can eat anything and convert it into magic to recharge their magic stones. That's how surface monsters are able to stay alive for so long."
"I can tell you care for them, so make sure to feed them at least once a month if you don't take them into the dungeon."
"My last piece of advice: do not feed them magic stones. It's true that monsters can evolve into heightened species by consuming them, but the chances of success are minuscule."
Durvekka stayed silent briefly and stared at Zeruk. After a few seconds, she nodded and asked, "What happens when they fail?"
"The monster's magic stone would be overrun by magic and explode." Durvekka nodded.
"Is there any way to increase their strength?" she asked, but Shakti shook her head.
"The only ways are taking the risk of evolving into a heightened species, which no tamer has ever succeeded in doing, or training them to fight." Durvekka frowned slightly but nodded as she patted Zeruk's head.
"Thank you," Durvekka said as she walked past Shakti, on her way back to the entrance with Selara and Zeruk, who both looked visibly saddened.
She stopped halfway and turned around to look at Shakti. "...Can a 'monster' gain a Falna?"
"...No god has attempted such a thing. Nor has there been a monster cooperative enough to try it."
"Thank you," she said as she continued walking out of the entrance.
The two lizards' body language looked more... 'uplifted' as they crawled behind Durvekka.
Shakti stared at them as they left, then walked up the stairs to Ganesha's room. She had lied when she said he was busy.
She knocked on the door of his office. She heard him yell, "I AM GANESHA!" and opened the door, revealing a muscular man with a red elephant mask that had yellow eyelids and a yellow rim on the top of the mask. He had ash-brown shaggy hair and wore an orange sash over his right shoulder and wrapped around his waist. A gold-rimmed leather plate sat on his stomach, holding the garb together. His pants were white with dark brown under new boots with gold accents.
A thick gold necklace hung around his neck, and gold armbands were on his upper arms with gold-rimmed black arm guards.
He stood by the window, looking outside.
"Did something happen?" he asked, and she nodded her head.
"...Do you know about the rumors surrounding the new rising star?" Ganesha nodded with a grin.
"Of course! I, GANESHA, know of any new rising tamer!" he laughed, stretching his arms out.
"...I think the two lizards she 'tamed' might be Xenos." He immediately stopped laughing. He crossed his arms, and his expression became more serious, even behind the mask.
"Are you certain?" She nodded.
"They weren't able to speak because they weren't humanoid, but I am certain she understood them... Not only that, but they understood me as well."
"Their behavior itself seemed more intelligent, like that of a child, rather than a monster's." Ganesha stayed silent briefly before asking,
"Why did she visit our home?"
"To ask for dietary advice," he chuckled.
"Does she care for them?"
"From the brief interaction I had with her... Yes, I believe she does."
"..." He stayed silent briefly as he stared outside.
"She is from the Miach familia," Shakti added, as Ganesha grinned and yelled,
"I AM GANESHA! HAHA!"
"Cancel any plans I have for tomorrow. I'm going to have a drink with Miach instead."
---------
"Are you two alright?" Durvekka asked them as they continued to walk along the path.
"{...}" They stayed silent, so she stopped walking and turned around.
She placed her staff on the pavement beside her and rubbed their heads to comfort them.
"...We can ask Miach about
how a Falna might affect the two of you. If nothing bad happens, you two can officially join the familia. Otherwise, we'll find another way to make you stronger... I might be able to get a development ability related to this." They both instantly shook their heads.
"{A development ability is much more important for you to get stronger... And it's limited according to Miach, so please don't waste it on us,}" Zeruk said seriously.
"{...If a Falna won't work, and training doesn't work... then I'd rather test my will and luck by eating magic stones,}" Selara said.
Durvekka's expression became serious, and she frowned slightly.
"...I don't want you to go through that."
"{I understand, big sister... But I don't want to be a waste of space. If I can't get stronger, how will I be able to help protect the others? I'm from floor two, a normal level one adventurer could kill me.}" Selara looked at Zeruk, but she didn't say anything, as her thoughts were the same.
Durvekka noticed this and sighed.
"I understand... But that will be our last resort. First, you need to get stronger by fighting normally. We'll spar together, as I also need to get better at it." They both nodded, and she smiled.
"...You all breathe the same, so I'm assuming you have muscles and organs too... Training physically might even increase the odds of becoming a heightened species," she said as she picked up her staff and turned around.
"Do you want to eat at the stalls or at the Hostess of Fertility to lighten the mood?" she asked as the two lizards looked at each other.
"{Why not both?}" Selara asked as Zeruk nodded, "{Both is good.}"
Durvekka chuckled and nodded.
"We can get a few snacks at the stalls and then head to the Hostess."
"{Big sis is the best!}" Selara said as Zeruk laughed and nodded, "{Yeah!}"
'...Please, let there be a way for them to live,' Durvekka thought as she heard their excitement and how quickly their mood changed. She gripped her staff tightly as she walked.
'I don't want them to go through that risk.' A sense of... dread? welled up in her stomach, but she pushed it away.
'...I am their big sister,' she thought, and a new feeling welled up inside her.
'I will make sure to do something to help them live.'
It was determination.
==========================================================
Chapter 22: Conflicted Paths.
Walking up to the stalls, she first bought two Jagamarukun and walked a few paces away so that she wouldn't bother the owners and customers. She then sat down on the hard floor and carefully helped the two lizards eat.
"{This is delicious, big sis!}" Selara said while she ate the small chunks that Durvekka broke off for her. Strangely, eating while talking didn't impede Durvekka's understanding of them either.
Zeruk didn't comment on the food, but it was evident that he enjoyed the Jagamarukun from the swaying of his tail. It took a few minutes for them to eat because they did so calmly, with Durvekka ensuring they took their time to avoid choking. She patted their heads as they let out a happy hiss.
"...The spell ran out again..." she said softly with a sad smile. They used their suction disc feet to lightly pat her leg in comfort.
"I believe I only have enough for two more uses... Can we visit the Hostess tomorrow instead?" They nodded reassuringly.
"Good, I'll buy some of those meat skewers and then we can head back to the shop." They nodded excitedly as Durvekka stood up and walked toward the stall that sells them. She bought two more, ensuring they weren't made out of lizard meat, and walked back to her seat, feeding them to the lizards carefully and slowly.
[Rolling 10 d20's....17, 16, 8, 4, 12, 12, 10, 9, 10, 16]
The majority of the people walking around either ignored her or simply glanced in her direction. Some were curious or amused by her antics, while a few were disgusted by her actions. However, a sizable number of people found it adorable or kind. Even though they saw the dungeon lizards as monsters, the way their tails swayed and how she carefully fed them, along with their calm hisses from the food they seemed to enjoy, made it pleasant for some onlookers, especially the two who made those snacks.
A few minutes later, Durvekka patted their heads with a soft smile as she stood up, noticing a small group looking at her with smiles. She, Selara, and Zeruk, who both copied Durvekka, tilted their heads as they looked at the group.
Durvekka ignored the audible 'Aww' and the few giggles she heard and walked away after telling the two stall owners that Selara and Zeruk enjoyed the food they sold. She adjusted her sunglasses and glanced at the sun.
'...I wonder if there's time to train... but where?' she thought after shrugging her shoulders. 'I'll ask Miach if he knows of a place.' It was already pretty late when they made it back to the shop.
Zeruk and Selara looked pleased and satisfied after eating a few more snacks from the stalls on the way. She opened the door to the shop and was greeted by a frowning Naaza, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Are you alright?" Durvekka asked as she took off her sunglasses, but Naaza didn't seem to have heard her.
"Naaza?" She walked closer and poked her forehead as she called out her name, causing Naaza to blink a few times.
"Sorry... Welcome back." She had a wry smile on her face when she saw Durvekka tilt her head.
"Is everything fine?" Naaza was about to answer but stopped herself and sighed instead.
"I... don't know... Miach told me everything about Selara and Zeruk."
"Are you conflicted?" Naaza nodded softly with a sigh.
"I am... But it's just my trauma trying to convince me that all of them are 'monsters'." She looked at the two lizards with a smile, some fear still in her eyes. She then turned her head to Durvekka and looked her in the eyes.
[Rolling insight... nat 20]
"What about you? You seem conflicted about something too."
Durvekka couldn't help but feel a little uneasy when she looked into Naaza's eyes. She nodded slowly and broke eye contact with Naaza to look at Selara and Zeruk.
"I am... I want to help the creatures of the dungeon... but I need strength to do so. Strength that I can only gain by killing the ones I want to save." She crouched down and petted them both on their heads.
"...It makes me feel... bad. Evil. Cruel... But I know it's necessary." She frowned, while Naaza smiled comfortingly and asked in a more soothing tone,
"So what did you decide to do with those feelings?"
"..." Durvekka closed her eyes as she thought to herself, 'What will I do?'
She opened her eyes after a few seconds of thinking and said,
"...All I can do is move forward. Nothing will change if I don't get stronger, and if they don't go through their reincarnation cycle, they will forever be stuck as mindless creatures with the potential to be free."
"I will most likely keep feeling bad for them and keep feeling this... guilt for killing them... But it has to happen... I have to get stronger in order to help those that have already gained their clarity." She was determined to achieve her new goal, but she still felt conflicted and hesitant about it and about her own feelings.
She had finally escaped her 'cage' called the Underdark, a place where the dread she felt was overwhelming, being hunted and tortured for most of her life was something she didn't want others to experience.
She didn't want to go back there, nor did she want to fully explore the dungeon, the very place that might lead her back to her cage. But venturing deeper might be the only way for her to grow strong enough to help others who are stuck in a similar fate she was in, forever being hunted and 'killed' for the amusement or improvement of others, forever stuck in a 'cave' while longing to see a surface world without the ability to do so.
She was stuck between the feelings of helping those suffering a similar, if not worse, fate than she did and the fear of going deeper into the very thing that might bring her back to the Underdark.
At first, she planned to become level three or four at a minimum, depending on how long it took, and then explore the world, leaving this dungeon behind. She thought there would probably be other ways to improve and grow on the surface world without having to worry about being so close to the dungeon, but when she found out about Zeruk and Selara's situation, her plans changed.
The great amount of importance the dungeon held to this city already signified to her that there might not be a faster way to grow stronger than hunting inside the dungeon. Her growth rate also proved it after a few days of dungeon diving.
'I don't want to go back... But I don't want to leave Selara and Zeruk either. It hasn't even been a day since I met them. So why did I grow so attached?' she thought to herself when she looked down at the two lizards. A small smile unknowingly appeared on her face as her expression softened.
Durvekka turned back to Naaza and asked, "What will you do? I won't fault you for not wanting to be a part of my goals."
Naaza smiled and returned to her lazy demeanor as she leaned on the counter.
"I am supposed to be the captain of the Miach Familia. So, as the captain, I will help you wherever I can... as long as it doesn't bring us into more debt." She chuckled at the end.
"Hm." Durvekka smiled and said, "Thank you..." She paused briefly before asking,
"Do you know if there are any places where I and these two can train?"
"There are a few 'public' training areas, but no one really uses them to avoid showing others their skills and magic... There is an abandoned church nearby. I used it in the past to train my archery, so you three might be able to train there. Just be careful with what you show, as others might use that place for training too. Are you going there tonight?" Durvekka shook her head.
"No, I am planning on going there sometime tomorrow with them. For now, I am planning on going to the potion-creating room." Naaza chuckled slightly, causing Durvekka to tilt her head.
"Is something wrong?" Naaza shook her head with a sad smile.
"You reminded me of something we did in the past."
"We?"
"Me and the previous Familia members. We all used to call it something different. One of my 'friends' used to call it the 'Great Alchemist's chamber.'" Naaza chuckled as she thought back, a hint of guilt in her eyes that Durvekka wasn't able to notice.
"What happened to them?" Durvekka asked curiously as she stopped petting the two lizards and looked at her again.
"...They left." Durvekka could tell it bothered her.
"I see..." she said and walked around the counter to give her a good hug.
"...I won't," she said while patting Naaza's back and resting her head under Naaza's chest.
Naaza smiled as she placed her hand on Durvekka's head.
"You are already someone out of the ordinary while only being a level one... Our familia won't be able to keep you for that long," she spoke in her usual lazy tone, but a grin appeared on her face as she continued, "But we will still try our best to keep you here."
"Hm, food and Miach is enough." Naaza's grin froze and twitched slightly at Durvekka's words.
"What do you mean by that?" Durvekka loosened her arms from the hug to look up at Naaza with her head slightly tilted.
"He can teach me about potions and plant properties." Naaza sighed in relief at her explanation, which made Durvekka even more confused.
"It's fine. You can go to the brewery, but make sure to be careful with what plants and substances you mix and make sure to either ask me or Miach-sama for help before doing something you are unsure of," she said sternly.
"And make sure not to waste anything. No matter how small, each part of a plant always has a use."
"Hm, thank you." Durvekka let go and walked toward the potion crafting room, as she calls it, with Selara and Zeruk following behind.
She passed by Miach's room, pausing briefly before continuing onward.
'...I'll ask about it tomorrow,' she thought as she glanced at the two lizards.
-----
She stood on a small step stool as she looked at all of the ingredients in front of her. A few bluish spores floated around her as she controlled them to move to her hand.
'They are created with my magic, which means they get stronger when my magic stat increases...' she thought as she moved them around by waving her right hand.
'They are toxic and work similarly to an airborne poison, allowing me to control the spores to enter a creature's mouth, nose, or any other orifice... but sometimes it fails... Either from my focus failing or the creature being able to resist its effects,' she thought as she used her left hand to take out a purple vine with great care. It had multiple thorns on it that Durvekka made sure to be careful of.
'...I wonder if I can still do this...' she thought as the spores she created disappeared, and she placed the vine on the table. She then took out one of her leaf balls, but this one had a purple symbol in the form of a vine on it, and rubbed some of the violet-colored paste on her right hand. She then picked up the vine with the same hand and cast {Thorn Whip} while using the vine as a component, causing the vine to grow longer and bigger as it became more like a whip.
[Durvekka: 46->40]
She felt the thorns dig into her hand as it grew, reaching ten feet in length. Her hand felt a bit numb as she looked at the whip.
'Before I got my Falna, I was hardly able to use these types of vines... At most, I could only turn them into a one-foot (thirty cm) sharp stick while also diluting the poison, but now I can tell that my magic stat not only increased its length but also the poison's effects,' she thought as she dismissed the cantrip and watched the whip revert back into the small thorny vine in her blood-covered hand.
She frowned slightly as she thought, 'I also have to make a stronger antidote to counteract the poison... For now, it should be alright as it can still counteract the majority of its effects... But as my magic grows more potent, so will it.'
'And I don't want to waste my development ability on something that might help negate stuff like this, as others would be more useful or versatile,' she thought as she took out multiple of her plants, wooden vials, and white leaf balls. These white leaf balls each have their own color coding, one having no color while the rest have blue, green, purple, and red.
Each color represents a different property, while the symbol they are made in also signifies something else.
The problem that Durvekka is currently facing is their coloring. While in the Underdark, her dark vision allowed her to see in different shades of grey, which is how she memorized which leaf ball had what type of paste. The reason she knows what leaf ball is for healing paste is because she always uses the same pouch for those.
In this case, she sometimes swaps these leaf balls for different pouches for easier use when the situation calls for it.
'...' She looked at each of them and slid her sunglasses back on her face, but sadly, it didn't work much to her dissatisfaction.
She took her sunglasses off, placed them on the table, and took each color to a dark corner, covering it so that little light could obscure the ball in order to see the shades.
She would have turned the lights (magic stones that act as light bulbs) off if she knew how.
Red is a mid-light grey, blue is a medium grey, purple is a mid-dark grey, and green is a dark grey.
She then reorganized them in the order of blue, purple, red, and green when she placed them back on the table and moved them to the side.
'They are still ready to use... Now I need soil to grow all my plants. The only problem would be growing the Deathcap fern because of its toxic spores.' She frowned slightly as she unhooked an extremely tightly 'locked' pouch from her side.
'...Maybe I can use that abandoned church for my plants? The only problem would be if someone randomly stumbles upon the place... but corpses always made for good fertil-' She stopped her thought while shaking her head.
'The drow made for good fertilizer, the people of Orario have done me no harm.' She corrected herself while unhooking more of her pouches and placing them on the table.
'For now, I am going to make a list of the different environments in which each plant needs to be grown,' she said as she started looking for any piece of paper she could write on.
[Rolling Perception... nat 20]
She saw a stack of unused papers and something to write on, but something else caught her eye. In the corner of the room on a counter was another stack of papers in an untidy pile.
'I wonder how long it's been like this,' she thought as she walked closer to the seemingly forgotten papers and read through them.
'Interesting.'
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