Chapter 21
Finally a Dungeon
Arthur woke up a little before sunrise and stretched. He had a hunt today and needed to get up and get a bit of food. Arthur got himself dressed and took a little bit of time to make sure the smell wafting from him wasn’t terrible. Body odor was something he was slowly getting used to, but God did he miss deodorant. Hygiene was going to be a significant endeavor once this attack was over, and they had succeeded.
He stumbled down the stairs, half-awake, and saw the other three members of his party already eating. Arthur just thought he was up early. It appeared they beat him to the punch. He walked over to the table and saw Daniel standing over by the bar. Daniel saw him and nodded and headed to the back.
Arthur plopped into an empty chair at the table and looked around. There was a mixture of excitement and a bit of trepidation painted on the faces around him. It was to be expected that dungeon runs were not the safest things to do here, but since they suggested it, he would go along with it. Daniel came from the back with his two apprentices trailing him and set his food down for him.
Both girls looked expectantly at him, and he realized they were there to accept the completion of their orders. He acknowledged their order completion and reassigned them new ones. Since he only gave Rowan two orders this time instead of three, he created an extra order of 10 meal preps and gave it to a surprised looking Daniel.
“You deserve the chance to benefit from the experience as well,” Arthur told him.
“Thank you, Arthur. It will be good for a bit of extra experience to go with the work.” Daniel told him.
“Anything specific you need me to look out for?” Arthur asked him.
“Just the normal food items and herbs. Could use a good set of herbs and spices. Help kick the cooking up a bit once we get the stock up a bit.”
“I’ll keep on the lookout then. The others suggested we hit up a local beast dungeon in the forest, so I am hoping we will get a good haul of meat and furs to work with.” Arthur told him.
“Just be careful, Arthur. Dungeons are a great way to get some experience but can be very dangerous. Just stay on your toes.”
“Will do, and thanks for the advice.”
Daniel turned and walked back to the bar while Arthur finished his meal at the table. He glanced around and noticed everyone else looked ready to go and had finished their meals. Samson had some sturdy looking work clothing on but hadn’t found any armor. The rest were wearing their regular clothes, so he had no hope for that. They badly needed some leather to get some armor together. Arthur rose from his seat as he looked at each of them.
“Grab any provisions you may need from Daniel before we leave. Make sure each of you has a water skin and at least a few pieces of dried rations. Vana, feel free to ask to use any herbs he may have that you could find useful for your healing. I’ll grab my stuff and meet you guys out front.” Arthur told them.
They all nodded their agreement and made their way to the bar. Arthur went upstairs to grab his bag and the few provisions and water skin he had stashed. He also took the chance to throw his bow over his shoulder and toss his arrows into his bag. His sword had been strapped on by instinct when he got dressed, so it wasn’t a concern, but he did go ahead and attach his dagger to the right side of his belt. Arthur left the room and made his way back downstairs. The common area was cleared out, so he kept walking straight toward the door and walked into the morning air. The soft breeze felt good on his skin. The weather was rather comfortable right now, but he was sure they would be sweating good by the end of the day.
He looked around and saw the entire group arrayed outside, nervously shifting from foot to foot. All except for Samson, that is. He had the stoic look of a military veteran waiting in ranks for a commander to walk by for an inspection. He didn’t stand at full attention or anything, but his rigid posture told Arthur all he needed to know.
“Glad you are all ready. Let’s make our way to the blacksmith and pick up your weapons before we get on the road.” Arthur told them as he led them through the village. They made their way to the blacksmith in no time, and Arthur waved at Rowan as he approached. The man was bent over working on the iron nails he had asked for. It was a slow and tedious process.
“How are you faring this morning, Rowan?” Arthur asked him.
Rowan looked up from his work and smiled at the group. “Pretty well so far. I see the fearsome hunting party has arrived. I take it they are here to pick up their weapons?”
“That is the plan,” Arthur told him.
“I don’t think they will be disappointed,” Rowan told him with a wink.
“I took the liberty to clean them up a bit, early this morning, and oil them down a bit for protection.” He said as he walked to the back of the shop and came forward carrying a bundle. Arthur led the group closer and turned to address them.
“I want to start by saying that under no circumstances do these weapons leave your possession except to sleep. That may sound harsh, but you will understand in a moment. First off, I have two daggers to hand out. I am giving one to Vana and one to Allendria. I will be keeping one for myself to replace the old dagger I have been wearing. Allendria has her magic to protect her, and Vana has a bow and some arrows. I know the bow isn’t the best, but it is what we have in the time we had. Samson, I have different pieces for you, but I am saving those for last.” Arthur told them.
He turned to the bundle and grabbed two of the daggers, and handed one each to Vana and Allendria. Both of them glanced at them and started to look up before their faces froze, and they turned to stare at the weapons.
“Where in the hell did you find these? Did you bargain with a demon for your soul?” Vana asked him in disbelief.
“I know you probably won’t believe this, but I made those yesterday right here in this forge,” Arthur told her as he replaced the dagger he had on him with the new one. He placed the old one on the table for Rowan to use as needed.
“I wasn’t even aware the human kingdoms even had a crafter with the knowledge of mage-crafting anymore,” Allendria said out loud. Then her eyes narrowed. “I know some of the prerequisites for the skill myself and know you couldn’t have possibly been able to perform this until yesterday. Did you seriously discover the rare art of arcane smithing completely on your own and then proceed to make all these in one afternoon?” Allendria asked him in disbelief.
“Actually, yes. I had an idea of how it should work, and it just took some trial and error to get it right. A little experimentation was needed to get it right, and then some work on the enchantments.” He told her.
“I also noticed you had done those as well. It appears your special skill we discussed is indeed beneficial in your enchanting. I haven’t personally seen either of these final symbols myself.” She told him.
Arthur grinned at her. “I thought you might notice that. I can say that special skill has been immensely helpful and I think it will be a game-changer for us in the long run. I do want to get some more enchantments done and see if you can share with me some of the more advanced methods for creating enchantments. I’d be willing to show you any symbols you wish to know and tell you any of the effects I have discovered.”
“Consider it a deal.” She told him.
“Vana, I hope you understand now why I said these cannot leave your possession. They are our upper hand right now, and we will need them to succeed with this village.” He told her.
“I truly understand, and we will be vigilant. I know these weapons are precious even if they are lower-level materials.” She said seriously.
Arthur turned to face Samson. “Samson, I cannot explain why, but I truly trust you. I think it is a combination of your military training and your naturally outgoing nature. That said, I want to ask you one important question. Will you be the shield for our group?”
Samson faced him and stood straight-backed. “It would be an honor, Arthur. I’ll ensure you all stay as safe as I can.”
> “I thought you might say that. Please keep in mind your equipment is infinitely more important to keep track of, and it absolutely cannot leave this village unless in your hands.”
Arthur turned and grabbed the longsword first. He turned and presented the weapon to Samson. He held it with one hand on the handle and the blade laying sideways across his other arm. Samson gingerly took the sword and looked at it with a gleam in his eye. Arthur could see the beaten-down warrior inside of him rising from the ashes.
“If you think that is nice, wait until you see this,” Arthur said with a chuckle.
He turned and grabbed the shield by the sides and turned to present it to Samson. Samson looked at the shield, and Arthur saw a look of childlike glee in the man’s eyes mixed with a small tear running down one cheek.
“That is breathtaking Arthur. Are you sure it is for me to use? It almost looks too good to use.” Samson croaked out.
“Its purpose is to protect us, so I am sure it is for you to use. Put it to good use, and we can call it even.” Arthur told him.
Arthur helped Samson slip the shield onto his left arm and watched as he tested the weight and speed of the device as he moved it around.
“Not only is it beautiful, but it isn’t near as heavy as I expected for an iron shield. The reinforced edges are a very nice touch, and the detailed scroll-work is perfect. I can’t wait to smash something’s face in with it.” He said with glee.
“I am glad you approve. Rowan, do you mind if we use your cart again? I am hoping we can fill the thing to the top today.” Arthur asked.
“Of course, just bring it back in one piece. If you find any good metal, make sure to bring me some. Make sure you put the pick on it from yesterday. You probably never checked, but I finished it last night. Oh, and take these as well.” He told him as he tossed Arthur two leather sheaths for the daggers he had given Vana and Allendria and a sheath for Samson’s sword.
Arthur was pleased that Rowan had the time to make sheaths to help them from hurting themselves while traveling. He did a quick check and saw the notification he hadn’t paid attention to earlier from the work Rowan had completed.
Congratulations, Basic Iron Pick, has been completed. You have gained 15 experience in Blacksmithing for another finishing this item.
“I’ll make sure it is on the cart. Thank you for the heads up.” Arthur walked over and made sure the pick was on the cart and threw in a couple of old looking ropes from near the cart that he thought he might need if they had a big load that needed to be tied down.
He pushed the cart back to the group as they were each testing their new weapons and getting them secured to get moving. Arthur motioned for them to get moving, and they headed out of town.
“Samson, do you know where that animal dungeon is located?” Arthur asked.
“I know pretty close to where the entrance is but never been to the exact entrance myself. I am sure once we get close, it will not be hard for us to find it.” He told him.
“That is good enough for me. I want you to take the lead on our trip out.” Arthur told him.
Samson nodded, and they started. Everyone seemed rather quiet as they kept walking out of town and approached the forest. Arthur noticed it wasn’t far off from where he had exited the forest upon his initial arrival that they now entered into the woods. They were heading in a generally southwestern direction and followed Samson diligently.
“Vana, can you get your bow ready for use? If we see any game animals, I want you to take them down. I am occupied with this cart, or I would do it. If it is edible or has a good hide that can be used, take it down. Samson can focus on getting us where we need to go.” Arthur told her.
She nodded her head and pulled the bow off of her shoulder and got an arrow ready on the string. They kept walking through the forest and met little resistance for the first two miles into the woods. Once they passed the two-mile mark, Vana was able to bag a few rabbits as they traveled, and they gladly gutted them and added them to the cart. They would worry about the furs later. They couldn’t be tanned for leather, but they could be cured for clothing use.
They kept moving, and the efficiency of the team was excellent. Vana and Samson were naturals out here. Every time Vana fired, Samson instinctively moved to interpose himself between the group and where she had fired, in anticipation of a possible enemy. Arthur was impressed and quickly realized this man must have indeed been a fantastic warrior at one time. He wouldn’t press now, but he had a feeling the man was more skilled than most. After another mile, Samson slowed and held up a hand.
“We are close to the border where the dungeon entrance is. I know it is in this area, but not exactly where. We should proceed from here alert and with caution. Enemies could be anywhere near here, and dungeons usually attract powerful monsters and beasts near their entrance.” Samson told them.
Arthur stopped with the cart and unslung his bow from his back. He laid the bow and a couple of arrows on the cart in front of him so he could quickly set the cart down and pick them up for use if needed. He picked the cart back up and nodded for Samson to continue. They kept moving again and slowly walked forward. The party tried to stay as quiet as possible, but with the cart, it was difficult.
They had made it another hundred yards before Vana signaled for them to stop.
“Something is wrong.” She whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. Arthur sat the cart down, and they sat in silence for a moment.
“Shit, it’s an ambush,” Vana said right as four giant timber wolves emerged and fanned out in front of them, and one wolf came bounding at them from each flank.
“Vana take the one on our back left. Allendria, you take the one on the back right. Samson, try and stop the four up front, and I’ll help take them down with my bow.” Arthur yelled as he had already got an arrow knocked. Samson took a few quick steps forward and roared at the top of his lungs. Arthur guessed the man had some skills for tank effects because that looked like an area of effect style taunt skill. He aimed at the wolf on the far left of Samson and fired. The arrow sunk deep into the wolf’s flank, and it yelped and stumbled away from Samson temporarily. Arthur grabbed another shaft, and as he did, he took a glance and saw Vana had two arrows in her wolf. The first arrow took the creature in the front shoulder and looked like it had caused it to temporarily crash into the ground, while the second arrow landed in the creature’s neck. Arthur was pretty sure these creatures were going to be rather resilient. He decided to do a quick scan as he lined up the next shot.
Name: Timber Wolf
Level: 7
Type: Beast
Rarity: Common
HP: 159/180
Stamina: 150/150
Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Endurance: 6
Experience: N/A
Skills
Combat Skills:
Rend: ? (???/???)
Slash: ? (???/???)
You have gained 80 experience in Scan for successful use against Timber Wolf (Level 7).
It was apparent his first attack hadn’t done as much damage as he had hoped. He seriously needed to score a mortal wound on this animal to take it out of the fight.
“Samson, can you stun the one on your far left for a moment,” Arthur asked.
He knew it was asking for a lot since the man was using his sword and shield to keep the wolves focused on himself and trying to keep them from doing any damage to him. Arthur got his arrow ready and decided to activate Aim Shot to ensure he got a good hit. Samson grunted and took a quick step to his left and bashed the wolf on the far left, right as it tried to snap at him. The blow stunned the creature, and it staggered back. Arthur let the arrow fly, and it hit perfectly behind the creature’s front shoulder, and it collapsed. Arthur needed to know how he was doing, so he decided to let his combat notifications flow into him as they happened.
You have dealt 180 damage to Timber Wolf (1)(Level 7) with Aim Shot (Heart Strike) for 25 Stamina.
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Timber Wolf (1)(Level 7) has died.
You have gained 125 experience in both Archery, and the Subskill Aim shot for killing Timber Wolf (1)(Level 7).
You have gained 150 experience for slaying Timber Wolf (1)(Level 7).
Perfect, Arthur had dealt a heart strike on it with his aimed shot, so it was instantly dead. Arthur focused on the wolf on Samson’s far-right this time. He noticed the two directly in front of Samson had some decent sword wounds on them, so Samson was holding his own. He also saw that Allendria had taken the wolf down she was assigned to, and it appeared to be bleeding out on the ground. Arthur was surprised the wolf wasn’t a smoldering pile of fire. It looked like Allendria had hit it with extremely concentrated fire bolts that punched through the hide of the wolf and burned the internal organs instead of igniting the entire wolf on fire. Arthur was pleased with that because he was worried she would just end up ruining anything she killed.
He put an arrow on the string, took aim, activated Aim Shot again, and let it fly. The arrow punched into the creature’s spine near the back legs, and it appeared to lose control of its hind legs.
You have dealt 35 damage to Timber Wolf (2)(Level 7) with Simple Iron Arrow (Critical Strike)(Mortal Strike)(Fatal Blow) for 25 Stamina.
You have inflicted Paralyze (Hind End) to Timber Wolf (2)(Level 7).
That was a new one. Arthur guessed severing a spinal connection here would also cripple an animal as usual. While the creature was dragging its hind end, Arthur sent two more arrows at it. The first took it in the throat, and the second hit it directly in the heart.
You have dealt 21 damage to Timber Wolf (2)(Level 7) with Simple Iron Arrow (Critical Strike).
You have dealt 100 damage to Timber Wolf (2)(Level 7) with Simple Iron Arrow (Heart Strike).
Timber Wolf (2)(Level 7) has died.
Dravincia Page 28