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Chapter 273 - Dungeon Surprise
🕑 Added 2021-07-07 13:01:04 +0000 UTCHera and the others had already left the dungeon. Despite their small nap in the evening, they were exhausted since it was already past 10 A.M. Before splitting off, Fethy gave the potion of hydration she got as a reward to Blue, and Silah gave hers to Hera. They had no idea if it would be helpful for the dungeon or not, Nevertheless, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Silah went back to her home to let Hera and Blue rest properly. The dungeon apparently was about a revolution, but the dwarves didn't understand exactly what that could mean. They knew the meaning of the word, but their society never had any significant conflicts. They were unaware of the kind of madness that something like that could create.
Hera was positive that this revolution would have something to do with the great fire that destroyed the room the dwarves came from. Or at least, that's what it seemed like, since the people that appeared before the ceremony started were carrying unlit Molotov cocktails. Hera and Blue discussed some possibilities, but the lack of sleep was getting to them. It was better to go home and rest before trying to think about anything else.
Both of them were so tired that they were out the moment their heads touched their pillows. When Hera woke up, she realized she ended up sleeping with her armor on. This made her body feel stiff, and her bed was a complete mess. After getting up, she picked up her tablet, hoping she didn't pass out for too long. Thankfully, it was still only 6 P.M. During the previous week, a group entered the dungeon late in the afternoon and only came out hours after midnight. The only problem that this situation created was that they started the day with one less attempt than usual, but it also meant that they could stay past the reset inside the dungeon with no issues.
Hera went outside her room and heard Blue snoring. Not wanting to wake her up too soon, she took advantage of that situation to take a warm bath and try to relax her body. Later, Blue woke up and took a bath herself while Hera was making something to eat. Now that she was awake and focused, the explorer started to think about the dungeon once more. Most dungeons were based on actual events. The more important the event, the more likely it was for one to be created. A fire that destroyed an entire room should be more than enough for a dungeon to appear.
What she wanted to figure out was the actual event they would be seeing. If they would just witness the start of the fire or maybe even help cause it, or if they would have to fight it off and stop it from happening altogether. The Wooly Plains hard mode was proof that, at times, a dungeon could show an alternate reality. This also meant that the dungeon might have nothing to do with the fire that destroyed the room. Maybe the revolution would somehow prevent the start of that fire or this would be a society where the fire never happened in the first place.
Hera was so distracted with her ideas that she didn't notice when the food started to burn. She took the chicken breast out of the pan and sighed.
"I guess this one is mine."
Blue came out of the bathroom, using a cloud to cover her body instead of her robe, and grabbed some of the french fries Hera made.
"Can you please put on some clothes before eating?" Hera asked.
"It's not like you can see anything, and I'm going to get dressed. This just smells so good."
"Then get dressed first, and then come eat."
"Fine, fine."
Blue went to her room and came back a few moments later. They started eating and talking about the dungeon. After explaining all her theories, Blue added her own. She thought that maybe the revolution was about the oppression and the nobles' issues with the commoners. Although she agreed that the dungeon could be about the fire, it could also be about changing their leaders. Since the normal mode was something more social, the hard mode could follow that.
"That's fair, but do you mind changing one of the blank clouds you have saved to an actual rain one? I'm worried that we'll have to deal with the fire," Hera asked.
"Sure. I can change the fire rain one, but I can only change those once a week. Do you have a water spell?" Blue started preparing the cloud.
"I have a weak one, just to clean stuff up and have something to drink in emergencies. Does that work?"
"It works, but if the spell is stronger, the effect is better. Let's try it. I know that if a spell is too strong, I can't mix it with the cloud," Blue explained.
Hera used a spell called Water Spring that made a small stream of potable water appear from her hands. For the size and the amount of water created, it took an absurd amount of mana. To fill just a single cup, it took almost a minute and a whopping 2 thousand mana. Hera ended up having to use almost all her mana, so Blue's blank cloud could get enough water mana to change. Unfortunately, the result was a windy drizzle. The water should be drinkable, but still, it was too weak to do anything helpful. Blue let go of the spell without saving it for later use.
"What about using the sandstorm?" Blue asked.
Hera thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. I mean, in theory, it might asphyxiate the fire. Then again… if the fire ends up just heating up the soil, it could work like embers and spread it even more."
"Yeah, let's not try that then. We can check with Ogryn if any mages specialize in water spells."
"It's a good idea. Should we eat and go, or do you need to rest some more?" Hera asked.
"Let's just go. We are so close to opening the room."
Hera nodded. Blue wasn't the only one who wanted to open the room soon, and this should be the last step to do so. She only hoped that Helena and the girls were doing well. After finishing their meal, they headed out, searching for Ogryn. The best option was to go to the mage's quarters. That way, they could already talk with whoever would help them. Arriving at their destination, Hera and Blue were greeted by an odd sight. Everyone was moving in a hurry, and some of the mages were grabbing their tools as if they were about to leave.
"What happened?" Blue asked.
"Master Ogryn went to fight the Sky Ruler."
Hera and Blue stared at each other.
"But the Sky Ruler is dead," Blue said.
"You mean the Starved one? Or one of those in the Wooly Plains hard mode?" Hera asked.
"No, he went to the nest. Totrak, Lija, and Pyrrick went there too!" another mage gasped.
Blue turned to Hera, "Should we go? I mean, are they safe?"
"I think they are. The barrier is gone, right? Everyone can hit the griffons now, even in the dungeon," Hera leaned in and whispered, "Does Stormcloud know anything about that?"
Blue turned around and quietly asked the herald. There were a few dwarves that knew about the legacy, but she was doing her best to keep it hidden from most people.
"He says he doesn't. There is no other piece of him lying around," Blue replied.
Hera sighed, "Yeah, let's go check. Now I'm worried."
"Me too," Blue nodded as they left the building.
The path to the nest was more or less open now. Even if most people weren't aware of the hidden tunnel, everyone knew that the path to the nest was somewhere inside the mines. Because of that, Hera and Blue didn't worry about hiding while walking. If anyone wanted to follow them, there wouldn't be any issues, and several of the mages did exactly that. The small parade walked inside the mines and then up the tunnel. It was a fun little excursion, Hera and Blue spent some time with the mages, training spells, and creating new ones. The dwarven spell crafters were all very excited about sharing their knowledge and curious about how human magic worked. In 40 minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the nest.
As soon as they saw the area, Blue and Hera froze. Lija was there, and so were Telanz and Naka, but that wasn't the scary part. On the other side, right where the tunnel exit should be, a spinning cloud barrier blocked the path.
"What the hell is that?" Blue gasped.
"Oh, why are you here? Weren't you going to do the hard mode of the other dungeon?" Naka asked.
"Yeah, but we heard Ogryn came to fight the Sky Ruler, and we got worried. Where is he?" Hera asked.
Naka just pointed at the barrier.
"What? Did he die?" Blue's eyes went wide. That barrier should be lethal to the dwarves.
"No, he's fine. I think. He just went in there, with Sevaris, Totrak, and Pyrrick," Lija explained.
"In the nest?" Hera asked.
"In a way," Naka replied.
"Can someone please explain what is going on?" Blue gasped.
"You see, dear. It appears that the nest has become a dungeon," Telanz said.
"Say what now?" Hera stared at the man.
"What now?" a few of the mages replied.
"What?" Blue turned around.
"She told us to say 'what now.'"
"Can everybody shut up just for a moment," Hera cried and turned to Telanz, "The nest is a dungeon now?"
"Exactly. This was discovered today. We quickly made a group, led by our captain here, and came to explore this new development. Alas, we three were unable to enter," Telanz explained with a shrug.
"Why?" Blue asked.
"Try to enter. It can help us make sure of one thing too," Lija said.
Hera and Blue approached the barrier and carefully touched it.
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Sky Ruler Nest
Type: Dungeon
The nest of the creatures known as the Sky Rulers. For eons, they lorded over the mountain, but now they have become vulnerable to attacks.
The first clear of this dungeon may not be completed by any descendants of the people present in the events that created the dungeon.
You were present during the event that created the dungeon. Entry denied.
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When the message appeared, the barrier stopped their hands. Even after trying to push it, it didn't budge.
"We... we created a dungeon?" Blue asked.
Hera just stared at her. They were the last ones to come inside the nest, at least while the Sky Ruler was alive. As strange as that might sound, this should be a place that exists because of something that they did. Did their actions affect this place so much?
Seeing that her friend wasn't going to reply, Blue turned to the captain, "If it's like what we did, it shouldn't take long. Do you know if they just went inside or something?
"They've been there for close to an hour already," Naka replied.
"I guess they are just hanging out there then," Blue shrugged. The nest was a beautiful place. It wouldn't be that much of a surprise if they stopped to enjoy the sights.
"Yeah, you said Ogryn was there. A level 15 monster wouldn't even touch him," Hera snapped back to reality.
"If you say so. I'm waiting for another 30 minutes before sending another group after them," Naka replied, "You two should go. There is nothing you can do here, even if you tried. You are stuck, just like us."
As curious as they were, Hera and Blue nodded and headed back to the city. They knew the captain was right. If they couldn't enter the dungeon, there was nothing they could do to help those inside. Besides, there was no way that the dwarves would have any problems dealing with the Sky Ruler and its spawn. Before going down, they asked the mages that followed them if anyone had strong water spells. The more violent the better, according to Blue. Luckily one of them had one called 'Tidal Explosion.' It was a way to either create a large wave or to make what was essentially a giant water balloon. This was enough for Blue's blank cloud to turn into a microburst. After that, the humans walked down while the mages stayed there. When reaching the Weeding Disaster dungeon, Hera and Blue saw Silah and Rutigan waiting in front of the entrance.
"We were waiting for you," Rutigan got up from his chair when he saw the two humans arriving.
"Sorry, we heard about the nest and got worried," Blue replied.
"I see, fear not. We sent our best there. I'm sure that the captain can easily deal with anything that happens since she is already used to fighting those creatures," Rutigan nodded.
"Yeah, but she can't enter. Ogryn went inside with Sevaris and a few others," Hera walked over to Silah and grabbed her hand, "Sorry we made you wait."
"Don't worry. I didn't wait long, but what's going on in the nest?"
"No one told you? Apparently, the nest turned into a dungeon, but the people who were part of the fight against the Sky Ruler can't enter, not even Naka, Lija, and Telanz who popped inside just for a moment," Hera explained.
Rutigan's expression darkened when he heard that. He looked back to the passage leading back to the city and then to Hera and Blue, "Well, I'm sure you are as excited as I am to complete the dungeon. Is there anything else that I can help you with?"
"No, I think we are ok. We have a bottle of water, some potions, and our gear is in top shape," Hera smiled.
"Right. If you don't mind then. I believe I should head to the nest. I'm worried about Ogryn. I wish you the best of luck, and I'll send Telanz to be on standby here as soon as I can," Rutigan gave them a small bow and headed back to the city.
"I'll be here too. Just… be safe," Silah gave Hera a kiss.
"We will," Hera turned to Blue, "Ready?"
"You don't even have to ask," she replied with a large smile before they placed their hands on the stone door.
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Conditions met for the Weeding Disaster hard mode
Choose the version of the dungeon you wish to enter
[Normal Mode] [Hard Mode]
(1 attempt remaining)
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Touching the hard mode option, the door opened, and the humans went inside. They crossed the same corridor, and at first, nothing seemed to be different. However, when getting closer to the door on the other end of the tunnel, they noticed some changes. For one, the noise was different. Instead of the sounds of clanging metal, they could hear screams and cries for help.
They didn't arrive in the kitchen like in the normal mode, but instead, they were just outside the castle gates. People were screaming and running around, with the noises seeming to come from everywhere. There were a handful of buildings on fire, spread around the city, and the lower area of the city had collapsed and was now just a pile of flame and rubble. There was so much in the air that they couldn't even see the other side of the cave. However, the most ominous part of this was hovering above their heads. Fuelled by clouds of ash and soot that rose from the flaming structures, a thick layer of pitch-black smoke covered the cavern's ceiling.
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Escape the City
Dungeon Quest:
The city of Kul Dorul is in flames. You must lead the people to a safe exit, or their civilization will perish.
First Completion rewards:
45 000 gold, Random Source of Flame
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You are the first ever to attempt this dungeon. If you complete the Dungeon Quest, you will receive the following bonus rewards:
Boothudurn Doorway Key
+ 1 Level
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"I guess you were right," Blue's eyes stared into the rubble that once was a city.
"I really didn't want to be," Hera replied as the screams of the dwarves filled her ears.
##### Author's Note ####
We didn't start the fire. Well.. technically, I did...
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Comments
Perizou
Thanks for the corrections! I changed the spell to Water Spring. I had used sprout thinking it was when a tree was 'leaking' water. but in the end even that was wrong lol. And water spout is a bit too violent for what Hera is doing.
Aldous Russell
Thanks! I think "that they went out" would be better as "were out". "she picked her tablet" should be "picked up". "it was still 6 P.M." should be "still only". "picked some of the french fries" should be "picked up" or "grabbed" or something. I think "I can't mix with" should be "mix it". I think "Water Sprout" should be "Spout". "should be a palace that exists" should be "place". "Did their actions have affected this place" should be "action affect". "sent our bests" should be "best". "like it was in the normal mode" should be "like in the".
