Chapter 519: Mangomoon

Chapter 519: Mangomoon

Auri

The Dungeon sounded like a ton of fun! Endless levels of puzzles and traps, fake-real monsters and TREASURE! It was one of the Things To Do around here!

From everything I could tell, The Dungeon was what Elaine called an Oddity, something that just Didnt Make Sense. It played by its own rules!

I wanted to be an Oddity. I wanted to play by my own rules! Like be able to be here and be with Elaine and the rest at the same time. That would be fun!

The Dungeon was apparently a huge blast, a source of endless levels and amusement. Some places were fixed, the same for everyone. Some levels overlapped where we could meet other Dungeon divers. Other rooms were random, but everyone agreed - go deep enough, and the experience started to get really good.

Getting in or out of The Dungeon was a bit of an adventure, given how many other creatures lurked near the entrance. It was worth knowing who was around, whod gone in, and when someone had too much treasure for their level, and could spark an argument.

Leave with a few gems, some nice nest material? Sure, whatever. Sashas translation amulet was apparently a Dungeon reward, although one hed traded for.

Leave with a few dozen level up obelisks because those were somehow a thing!?

Well, the high level creatures that lurked around the entrance would want to get their hands on it, or protect their youngsters whod just gotten one. A kirin wouldnt steal an obelisk from another kirin, but might be willing to snatch it from a phoenix, and

The whole stealing treasure thing is stupid. I declared to my new phoenix friends. Magenta the pink flamingo, Chompy the velociraptor, Weavy the ostrich, and my latest friend, the fifth member required to go to The Dungeon, Four-Wing, a phoenix modeled after a thunderbird. She was alright with Lightning, but not as good as Fenrir.

Go as deep as we can! Four-Wing proclaimed. Level as much as we want! Return with all the treasure we find, and dare them to take it from us!

Chompy roared in approval.

The bonfire for all the embers, and all the embers for the bonfire! Weavy proclaimed.

Burn down all obstacles! I added in, fluttering my wings as we got ourselves hyped up.

It wasnt Elaine. It wasnt Fenrir and Iona. It wasnt Exterreri or The School.

But I was determined to have fun here, make the most of things, and who knew?

Maybe Id like it more.

Shouting and screaming, blasting Fire and Lightning around in all directions, we barrelled to the swirling purple mists in an ancient archway, vanishing into The Dungeon together.

Our flaming bodies lit up the dark cave we found ourselves in, the portal on the other side swirling red. A tiny snake hissed at us from the middle of the floor, baring its fangs at us.

[*ding!* Welcome to The Dungeon.]

Hmmm. I should change that notification.

[*ding!* Oh wise and beautiful Auri, we would like to once again welcome your august presence to The Dungeon!]

Much better. There was no harm in getting things to display nicely.

Four-Wing and Chompy wasted no time, both of them throwing attacks at the helpless snake.

[*ding!* Your party has slain a dungeon creature. Experience rewarded.]

Huh, another new one. The creature really wasnt alive, was it?

Having solved the room - the first room was always the same for everyone - the portal at the end turned green, signifying that we could leave.

First! Weavy yelled, sprinting full-speed to the portal.

You have to say go! I protested, zipping after her.

The rest of my friends followed, and we delved deeper into The Dungeon.

Elaine

I waved goodbye to Auri until they were out of view, and kept waving for a minute later, just in case. My mouth cracked open in an involuntary yawn. Iona waggled her eyebrows salaciously.

Weve both been up more than a day, and it was a super high level day at that. I said. Buuuut I do need a bath if you want to join me. Then bed.

Iona looked far too excited at that.

Sleep. I corrected. The incorrigible rogue - my wife now!! - looked unrepentantly happy, her grin not fading a hair at my correction.

I went and did exactly that, waking up that evening to Iona gently shaking my shoulder.

Hey wifeosaurus. She teased me. I figured you didnt want to miss dinner, and start getting your sleep schedule back on track.

I sniffed, detecting that dinner was just starting to warm up as Iona slipped into bed next to me. I cuddled up to her.

The leftovers smell divine. I said. Shame we

I facepalmed as the obvious realization hit me. Iona grinned and quickly pecked me.

Remembered preservation magic exists? She said. I burrowed deeper into the blankets.

Yes. I muttered. Be real easy to apply as well. I yawned again, wanting to get up naturally and not use [Zenith Everlasting] to get going. There was a slim chance I wanted to go back to sleep later to fix my sleep, and if I zapped myself now, that would never happen.

I slipped out of bed, and instinctively called out.

Hey Auri, want to do a flame bath? I asked.

The wave of wrongness, of loss, of emptiness hit me before the echoing silence did. Iona came up behind me, slipping her hands around me and giving me a surface to lean on.

Shell be back in no time. My wife said.

I know. The place just feels so empty. I said. Iona gently squeezed me.

That would be because you missed breakfast and lunch. She informed me. Now, lets go fill that gaping hole of yours with food.

Food! I agreed, bounding off to the kitchen. It wouldve been wrong last night to eat it, but I am going to eat all the garlic dishes!

Iona pulled a face at that. I had a demonic grin.

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My wife looked unimpressed.

Alright, I didnt start this fight, but I know how to end it. Wheres the spicy food

I mock-shook a fist at her as we kept walking.

You might win this round, but youll lose on the other end!

Laughing, we went to sit down and eat our first home meal as a married couple.

We should leave tonight. I said.

If youd please follow me, Ill show you to your rooms. The [Bellhop] offered, moving off with a spring in his step.

I swear he reminds me of a rabbit somehow. I whispered quietly to Iona.

Shhh! She shushed me while trying to restrain her own laugh.

A few of the doors with the gold and silver inlays are portals. The minotaur said, and my jaw dropped. There are a few different buildings that you can go to, but right now I would like to direct your attention towards the sapphire, which will link you to the underwater rooms, and the central diamond, which will bring you to the Stellar Oasiss hub. Simply press on the gem, and witness!

I was only half paying attention to his words, my mind frantically studying the detail, enchantments, and inlay. Portals?! They were insanely expensive! Having them as an enchantment to boot, that anyone could activate!? That was extra expensive!

The modular nature was a non-issue, and it probably helped that they were all going to fixed locations, but just how much mana and arcanite was this place sitting on!?

[*ding!* [Butterfly Mystic] leveled up!]

Id shortened my notifications at long last. Yay for [Butterfly Mystic!]. If this place lived up to half its reputation, Id get another half dozen levels just by studying all the cool and interesting magic. Weird how I could sort of pay to level up but wasnt that basically what [Students] and [Apprentices] did?

Iona nudged me, and I realized Id zoned out a little. I stepped through the portal, [The World Around Me] going a little wonky as I split through. I briefly ended up with two fuzzed spheres as my body was split in half as I moved through the portal.

[*ding!* [The World Around Me] leveled up!]

We were underwater. Properly, truly, underwater, in a vast hall that was all rooms on one side, and pure glass on the other and ceiling. Underfoot was warm, tropical sand, and I immediately slipped my shoes off to let my toes sink into it.

Your rooms are right over here. The minotaur gestured. Let me reassure you that the soundproofing on the rooms is quite sturdy, and there are no quiet hours or anything of the like. One of the Classers running the Stellar Oasis has [Party All Night], an aura that will leave you feeling constantly refreshed and invigorated, no matter how little sleep you might get, effectively adding days to your stay.

Oooh, that sounded like a great aura! I think my [Saintess] class had a similar aura offered in its endless set of skills, but with a different name and theme.

We got to our room. The side away from the door was dominated by more floor to ceiling windows, giving us a beautiful view of a colorful coral reef and the thousands of tiny fish swimming around in it. There was one large bed that was literally made out of clouds.

The glasses will teleport any drink we have directly to them. Do not fear, we are not conjuring material, but at the same time, I would beg you to have caution. With no [Bartender] keeping an eye on you, and the ability to summon substances of varying strength, it is possible to partake too much. While the glasses are resistant to breaking when dropped, they are nowhere close to indestructible.

And were billed a small fortune if we do break them. I whispered quietly to Iona. It had been in the paperwork Id just signed. Page 289.

The bubble tour is a popular first experience at the Stellar Oasis. It can give you a good overview of all the amenities offered. If you need any assistance, simply request assistance out loud. We will promptly be at your side.

Interesting! And maybe a little spooky.

Thank you. Iona said, tipping the man generously. He bowed and left. Ionas eyes drifted to the cloud bed.

You are insatiable. I replied to her wordless request. Lets go try that bubble tour that was suggested.

One moment! Iona dove into her trunk, retrieving a fresh notebook and her drawing pencils. Alright, Im ready, lets go!

The heat hit me in a wave as we portaled to the central hub. It was wonderful. Blue skies, a few white clouds drifting through the sky, some birds cawing on the wind. A few other guests were walking around, Immortals from all over. A demon held hands with an elf, while a pair of devils were merrily bickering by a pool.

It was easy enough to find the bubble tour, and there was a devil giving away ice cream to anyone who wanted some. The place was all-inclusive, wed paid enough at the start that everything inside was free. I got mango flavor, while Iona got a chocolate-vanilla-fruit mix.

I mock-shuddered at her choice.

What? She licked her treat. I like tasting everything. Its not like Im a one-noter like you are. She teased.

We sat down in the staging area, and a great bubble of soap popped into existence around us, including a little love bench for us to sit on. I sat down and crossed my legs, aware that the bottom of the bubble was transparent.

Theres something nice about going with the old familiar comforts. I flirted back.

We took in the sights as the bubble lifted up, getting a good view of everything going around. Waterways crossed through the air, a lazy river that went up. The beaches were made out of sparkling white sand, and every incoming wave was huge, right until the moment it was about to hit the shore. Then it decreased in size to a more reasonable amount. Guests of the Stellar Oasis were playing games on the beach, there was an amphitheater, a buffet hall, and so much more!

I rested my head on Ionas shoulder.

I love you. I said.

I love you too. Now, stay just like that, I want to capture this moment forever. Iona said, her pencil moving over the page at high speed.

The Stellar Oasis was amazing. The bathrobes were so soft I wanted to weep when I took them off. There was a snow section, with a downhill ski slope that seemed to never end, and the snow was warm enough that there was no discomfort. A potion hot tub had all sorts of interesting effects, and the [Bartender] had taken a potion to transform into a dilophosaurus or so she claimed.

Shes actually a dinosaur! Iona whispered urgently into my ear, able to sneak a peek into her stats. A dinosaur is mixing our drinks!

That was far cooler than oh I took a potion to look like this.

The beach was eternally perfect, and I could even somewhat control how solid the sand was, letting us make an epic sand castle with some of the other guests. Iona was half of a competitive spirit, and some famous general - Id never heard of him - was the other half of a competitive spirit, and the two teams built the largest castles we could, then fired harmless sandballs at each other.

One of the buildings had all sorts of tinker toys, including a set of runes engraved in stone that could be rearranged in various orders to make different fun effects, letting anyone play at being a wizard. It was briefly novel for me then boring, since I could do my own wizardry - and they did it all wrong!! - but Iona had a blast.

There was the most skillful skill-less performance Id ever seen. Someone had decided to turbo-charge their initial class by not accepting anything, and was still level 8 at 150 years old. The benefits of being Immortal. He had a wonderful stage act and performance, made all the more novel and interesting by the fact that there couldnt be any true skills on display.

Level 100+ [Actors] and [Thespians] were a dime a dozen. But someone who could stand, act, and joke better than one, while clearly not having any skills or classes for it was fresh and revitalizing.

Iona did not like the instant painter. She wanted - perhaps a little jealously, she freely admitted - to have all of our pictures and memories of the place made by her. I had no strong feelings about it, and if it made her happy, sure, why not?

A trampoline section sent us to dizzying heights, made manageable only by the fact that both of us could fly. A few of the other guests looked a little green, which was pretty funny.

One of the only things that was truly limited at the resort were transformation tonics, where we could drink them and experience being another animal for half an hour or so, limited to one per person per day.

A [Hundred Hand Massage] followed a trip in the every direction is down room, where we could easily walk on the wall, ceiling, or innumerable little fun obstacles that littered the room. Iona was nearly as glued to it as I was to the innumerable enchantments I found all over the place, studying them and adding them to my list of spells I knew.

One thing I had to be careful about - I didnt know the runic language they were using, and until I did and spent time studying it, I was basically casting blind.

A gang of super intelligent racoons tried to rob the resort, and there was mutterings of a Pekari assault going on nearby. Iona and I needed to remind ourselves that we were on vacation, and that other people were paid to fix these problems.

Didnt stop me from scruffing one of the racoons I found in my belongings though.

Now listen here you. I said, staring at the dangling raccoon at eye level. I am here on vacation. I dont want to have to deal with you and your gangs shit. Go bother somebody else before you become enough of a problem that I need to handle you. Now shoo.

Fortunately for us, they didnt see it as a challenge, instead causing mischief everywhere else.

We went diving in the sea, and with a mix of potions and enchantments, were able to walk and freely swim among the coral reefs with no problems.

Jurcor was weird about their fashion - in my opinion. The devils put way too much stock on who was wearing what, and had whole things about fine clothing. That I could tell, there were clearly hidden depths to it all.

The short of it was a ton of clothing shops in dozens of different styles, cuts, and makes, and was the whole reason both Iona and I had brought an entire extra empty trunk.

Shopping and souvenirs! I spent an unwise amount on dresses and trinkets, while Iona liked custom-tailored suits. She also spent an unbelievable amount on a set of paints.

Well, unbelievable to me. The artist believed shed gotten it at an absolute steal.

I didnt know it was physically possible to charge that much for paint.

Iona, with her brilliant silver tongue, somehow managed to talk the management of the resort into giving us an extra two weeks stay.

For free.

I had no idea how she managed to do it, only complaining about how stupid charisma was. Quietly.

Sun, sex, food, and alcohol, it was the perfect mangomoon for us.