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Chapter 443 - Dinner Party
🕑 Added 2022-04-30 13:01:03 +0000 UTCThe purple tower was very unique in a way. Not in the overall concept of the towers in this room, but because everything inside it seemed to be made out of moss or cloth. The walls looked almost like the sides of a tent, and the decoration was very intricate and detailed, but it was as if it was growing from the actual structure. Also, despite the look and feel of the walls, they were completely solid, as if they were made out of marble. The central chamber was considerably smaller than the one in the red tower. However, those were the only differences between them. The hallways were still narrow and had that repeating pattern that made it hard to know when something new had just appeared.
Hera and the others were now waiting in line so they could go inside the dungeon. It was the same setup that they had to go through when coming to this room, with a line of people waiting for their turn. This time, however, they weren't going to leave this place. As proof that the system could understand the best option for those inside each room, Dzviery changed once it became too crowded. Hera walked alone towards what looked like a doorway, but instead of the white frame, she was met with a stone gate. Touching it made a notification appear. A notification that only started to appear after the lines were implemented.
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Would you like to enter the reception of the Dinner Party dungeon?
Once inside, you have to complete the dungeon before being able to leave.
[Yes] [No]
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Pressing yes, the stone door opened, revealing what looked like the castle's foyer. The place looked like something straight out of a gothic horror movie. Everything here had sharp angles and an architecture that could only be described as hostile. It was as if the room itself was trying to threaten those who entered. It could also be just a gimmick for the dungeon. Maybe the idea was that whoever owned this place wanted the people who came here to feel inferior or to be on edge. There was a lot of psychological warfare going on during old times and even to this day among people who had political power. Currently, there wasn't anyone else here. So, Hera had all the room for herself. Out of curiosity, she tried the door that she came from and was met by a different notification.
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You have not completed the Dinner Party dungeon.
To leave the waiting room, you have to complete the dungeon or use a dungeon exit pass.
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"What's a dungeon exit pass? I mean, where do I get one?" Hera mumbled to herself before stepping away from the door to allow more people to come. While she was waiting, the explorer did what she did best and explored the room. Aside from the couches, there were a few chairs and a fireplace with some ash at the bottom. On a closer inspection, it even seemed like it was lit recently. There was still some heat coming out of the stones.
"This is a castle, right? Could there be something here? Like a secret passage?" Hera went inside the fireplace and then used the light spell to look around. About a meter above the opening, there was an empty slot for a brick, and inside it, she found a single paper ticket. She climbed out of the fireplace and took a look at it.
'Dungeon Exit Pass.' It was like an old train ticket, with a red stub with the word 'Exit' written on it. While she was staring at this finding, Bonnie came through the door.
"Hey… What happened?" Bonnie took a look at Hera and got worried. She was covered in some dark dirt while staring at a piece of paper, "Do we have traps here?"
"What? No, I just went inside the fireplace to see if there was anything hidden there, and I found this," Hera passed the pass to the researcher.
"Hang on. You come to a place like this, and your first instinct is to go inside the fireplace?"
Hera stared at Bonnie for a moment, "What's your point?"
"No point. I'm just asking," Bonnie took a step back and looked at the exit pass. It only had writing on one side, and the other was blank, "Do you think this would work anywhere?"
"I have no idea. But it makes sense if it does. I mean, it doesn't say that is the exit pass for this dungeon. So, if any dungeon stops you from leaving, this should work. Or maybe it has to be a dungeon that has that line. You know, the 'to leave, you have to complete the dungeon or use a dungeon exit pass' thing."
"Yeah, that could be it. Nice find," Bonnie passed the ticket back to Hera.
"It was just dumb luck," Hera picked the pass and took a look at her soot-covered hand, "Can you make some water for me? I would like to clean up before going to the party."
"Sure, come here," They walked closer to the fireplace since it was the only place that could hold some water, and Bonnie created a small stream to help Hera clean up.
"What are you two doing?" Blue walked inside and saw Hera taking a horse bath while Bonnie was working as a hose.
"I got dirty and wanted to clean up," Hera replied.
Blue rolled her eyes, "Stop doing that and stand in the middle of the room."
Hera wasn't sure what was going on, but she did as she was told. Blue waved her hand in a spinning motion, and a small cloud formed in front of her. It started spinning quickly, almost like an actual hurricane, but not to the point it seemed dangerous. The cloud went towards Hera and swallowed her completely. Hera felt like she was inside a car wash. She could feel water and wind hitting her armor and skin, and the noise of the swirling clouds made her unable to hear what was going on outside. That took a while, but when the cloud finally stopped, Alex and Helena were already inside the waiting room. Hera looked down and saw that all the ash and soot that was on her body was gone. Thanks to that spell, she was now perfectly clean.
"OK, you're doing my laundry from now on. This was really quick," Hera told Blue.
"Ha, you wish. Besides, this only works for superficial dirt, and there is no soap. I tried to add it to that cloud, but it didn't work."
"I wonder if I can get a weapon that can do something like it. You know, one that has like cleaning properties. There's no reason that all my blades have to be combat-focused. I can do some different things with them," Hera had a new idea about what she could do with her legacy.
"We can test this later. Now, how about we do the dungeon, 'cause if we let you two start talking about the legacies, I don't think you're gonna stop so soon," Alex stepped toward the door on the other side of the room.
"Good call," Blue nodded.
"Is there anything else we need to know about the dungeon?" Bonnie turned to Helena.
"Short of, It's more of a warning than something you need to know. The jester is ... A unique character. Don't be upset because of what it says, and try not to let it get under your skin. We're not there to kill it. That's not part of the dungeon. Also, don't talk about possible traps. If you start saying what you are expecting to happen, the jester will hear and use what said against us," Helena explained, "That's about it. Everything else is too situational to be helpful. I've only done this dungeon a handful of times, and I'm sure there are many traps that I haven't seen yet."
With that, the group walked towards the entrance of the dungeon. It was a stone door similar to the one they used to enter here. However, it was much more adorned. There were symbols of masks everywhere, and a large crown was split by the middle of the double doors. Alex pushed them open, and everyone walked inside. Now, they were in this large ballroom filled with about 50 people, all wearing large gowns and masks that covered their faces entirely. They seemed to be talking, laughing, and drinking without a care in the world. When the group walked inside, a person wearing some simpler clothes appeared. It was still a very elegant suit, but it was nowhere near as garish as the other people inside.
"Thank the system you arrived. People were getting restless, and we couldn't start the show when some of the guests had yet to arrive," the figure said, "What should we call you?"
"Helena, Bonnie, Alex, Blue, and Hera," Helena replied.
"Ladies? Or do you have another title?"
"Lady works for everyone," Helena nodded.
"Except her," Alex jumped in, "It's Empress Hera."
"Oh my. I wasn't aware we had this kind of nobility on the guest list. My apologies," the butler bowed to Hera, who was giving Alex the meanest look she could muster.
The butler turned back to the rest of the guests, "Entering, Empress Hera Kingsley and her Ladies in Waiting, Helena Dittro, Bonnie Caramel, Alex Malińska, and Pamella Blunt."
Most of the people in the ballroom turn to meet the new guests as some gasps could be heard from the crowd. It seems like the mention of an Empress attracted more attention than any of them expected.
"And now that the guests of honor are here, we can start the lovely presentation that was prepared for you all. Please, I invite you all to return to your seats so our performer can start," The butler turned back to Hera and her group, "and for you, my Empress, I ask you to follow me to the box on the second floor. That is the best seat in the house."
Hera nodded but didn't say a word. She wasn't enjoying this whole Empress business, but it seemed like it would help. All of a sudden, several tables appeared in the ballroom. The Hera and the others were sure that this arrangement wasn't there when they arrived, but now no one was acting like it was something new. While walking, they also took a moment to observe their surroundings. This place was a mix of a ballroom with an Opera House. Everything was red and gold, making it seem like a perfect place for the red tower. There was a small circular stage in the center of the ballroom with a grand piano on top. But there wasn't anything else that caught their attention. Everyone who was here was wearing beautiful clothing, but no one seemed to be the guest of honor, and she doubted that what the butler said was true. There was no way that the people who came to the dungeon would be the most important guests. When they arrived at the second floor in the box, which was a balcony of respectable size with five seats, Hera glanced and saw other four similar arrangements spread around the second floor, but they were all empty.
The butler bowed one more time before leaving and then headed downstairs. It took less than two minutes for the entire area to go completely dark as if someone had turned off the lights. In the center of the stage, three small globules of white appeared and started rotating slowly around the piano. The sound of the music came right after. It was such a soft and calm melody that made Hera think of a picnic in the spring. Something joyful and full of hope and dreams. No one seemed to be playing that. In fact, the piano was moving by itself, making this beautiful tune as the keys were pressed by an invisible force. Little by little, almost in an imperceptible way, the music started to change. Each note became more frantic and desperate as if that picnic began to devolve into something horrible. By the time everyone at the party realized that the music had changed, it was a tune that could never be associated with the first part of the song, and now there was someone in front of a piano. He was wearing a very elegant white suit with a black shirt and a red tie but what caught everyone's eyes was the hat. It was almost like an octopus with several large tentacles in a checkered purple and green pattern that formed almost like dreadlocks falling on the performer's shoulders. Each of the makeshift appendages moved with each stroke of the keys in a way that made it seem like that was actually the pianist's hair and not just a hat.
The song continued for almost 20 minutes, and it told a complete story. There was the picnic, then something terrible happened, and a moment where you feel the pain of loss and the pain of someone being snatched away. Then, the song became adventurous and exciting as you imagine the story's hero growing in searching for his destiny. There was another moment of strong notes that showed the battle, the struggle, the failure until finally, it reached its conclusion in a happy but bittersweet tune.
When the song ended, everyone started clapping. Blue and Bonnie were sniffing, having cried during parts of the presentation while Helena was still weeping. She used one of the napkins to dry off her tears and cast a spell on the group just as all the lights were snuffed out. What followed were some noises, yells, and the sound of the piano keys being slammed against something. Finally, the butler was able to turn on the lights again to reveal that the pianist was now dead on top of the stage, with his blood dripping from the piano keys.
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Dungeon Quest
You have witnessed the murder of the pianist. Find the culprit.
Rewards:
Dungeon Exit Pass
Dinner Party Jack-in-the-box
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