Chapter Sixty-Nine: Nice

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Nice

Having all this mana just sitting in my proverbial pockets is making me a bit antsy. I wonder if thats a dungeon thing, or a me thing. Having a big bank account doesnt make me want to spend it, but in games, I tend to spend my resources as I get them so I can get more resources.

Whichever the case, those expansion options are calling to me. Ive been upgrading the alchemy and enchanting labs so Queen and Thing can do their things, but I still have a good chunk saved up, and I really want to get some more room to do stuff.

I also think Ive come full circle on how Im going to expand. Past the cemetery could be interesting, but Itd make me more than a bit lop-sided to do that. Up keeps whispering like a temptress, but I keep thinking of what happened the first time I expanded downward. I dont want to cause a hurricane or tear a hole in the sky or something to actually facilitate my upward expansion. Maybe I can ask the ODA about that. Telar seems to be working on an information packet, but I think shes going to wait for Tarl to get back before she tries to tempt me with it.

The ratkins hunting tunnel was a really tempting direction to go, until I gave it a bit of thought. They are deliberately hunting outside me. If I expand down their hunting tunnel, theyll be back to hunting inside me. Not to mention that Violet would probably freak out at having a powerful neighbor rubbing elbows with it. So I think Im back to the original plan: expand down the tunnel Aranya came in from.

I take a few seconds to simply look at the area Id be getting, though look isnt really the right word. I can just sense a volume that will become mine. Oddly, the volumes for the different expansions are not all the same, nor are the costs. The smallest expansion would be taking part of the town, but thats also the most expensive, while expanding up gives a ton of volume and costs less than everything else.

I wonder why? Probably another question to ask the ODA. Alright, enough waffling. Time to either do my business or get off the pot. I spend the mana to expand down Aranyas tunnel.

Yvonne

Yvonne, Ragnar, and Aelara walk through the wilderness on their patrol. The birdkin ranger feels shes shirked her duties in this regard long enough, and her friends are happy to help her with it.Ñøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.

Well, for certain values of happy. While the dwarf manages to look vaguely interested at the wooded surroundings, Aelara the elf is looking a bit haggard.

Yvonne nods again. Yes, or they may come after various settlements instead, ignoring the dungeons. After all, the dungeons need the energy of delvers to exert their control over the local mana. If the monsters destroy the food of the dungeon, itll starve and the mana will go still once more.

Are the monsters really that smart? asks Aelara with concern, and Yvonne shakes her head.

Its not so much intelligence that guides them to attack people. To them, there are two threats: the big dungeons, and the smaller people. If they cant attack the dungeon, theyll attack the other threat to them: people. Its like when two large predators territories start to encroach. Neither really wants to try to fight the other directly, so theyll instead compete for food. Either theres enough for the both of them, or one is eventually driven off.

Aelara gives her a flat look. I dont think I like the idea of being dungeon food.

Yvonne just shrugs. Its not my best metaphor, but its not that far off. Wandering monsters are a threat to people and dungeons alike.

Is that why youre out here, then? To protect Thedeim? asks Aelara, and Yvonne smiles and shakes her head.

Technically, I suppose, but Ive had this duty for longer than Ive been a Resident. Besides, I like being out in nature like this, even if I sometimes have to cull undesirable things, she says and points down at a large print left in the loose soil, an obvious sign for her friends of what she's been tracking for a while now, before giving her friends a playful smile.

Though thats where you two come in. Its a lot easier to deal with wandering monsters with a couple friends at my side.

Aye, and the experience isnae alf bad, either.