Chapter 40.
“What’s wrong?” Galine demanded, her voice full of concern as she reached down to put a hand on my back.
“I’m fine,” I coughed. “I’m fine,” I winced, pulling the large crystal out from the collar of my robe. It was encased in a solid mass of slime, a large mana formation in what felt like soft plastic. How had this fucking thing even come out of me?! Where had this even come from? It had melted through my skin.
No wonder I had taken damage. Fuck!
“Dungeon core,” I explained, holding it up for Galine to see as I tried to catch my breath.
Galine stared at it, frowning, “Wow. What does it do?”
“Not entirely sure, the skill’s pretty vague. But it gathers ambient mana and produces experience,” I groaned, standing back up. “That's why it needs to be hidden and defended, because it's prime snacking material.”
“Right,” Galine hummed. “And you’re just going to put it in the cave with the giant centipedes?"
“Yeah, I know it's stupid,” I sighed, “but we came all the way out here. I’ll try to hide it around the entrance. I have to at least try.”
Galine nodded and stomped another centipede to death.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked her.
“I’m fine,” she smiled. “You know, despite your aversion to danger, you handled yourself well.”
“Thanks,” I smiled, handing her the core as I pulled at more of the vegetation which obscured the crevice. Calling it an outright cave was probably too generous. I just needed a good crack or something, then I could cover it with vines. I felt like I was reverse geocaching, surrounded by hellish bugs.
I noticed a split in the stone just inside before the space narrowed off. Galine handed me the core, and I shimmied closer, trying to wedge it in the space.
Do you wish to establish a new dungeon? Yes/No
Ah, well, that had been easier than I had suspected. I selected yes. Nothing happened, so I kept trying to wriggle the core between the stone.
Dungeon has been established.
Due to affinity for symbiosis, you have gained the class skill [Dungeon Contract].
Do you wish to form a contract with Giant Centipede Hive? Yes/No?
I stared at the words for a moment, unsure of what to do.
“Candy?” I asked. “Do we wanna do this? Is it good?”
“Do it,” Candy agreed. Her tone caught me off guard; she seemed somewhat… down, given we were finally doing what she had been aiming for this whole time. Yeah, we really needed to talk later. In the meantime, I selected yes.
Dungeon has been renamed to Giant Centipede Cave Dungeon.
A contract has been formed with Giant Centipede 243 times.
Warning: Giant Centipede Cave Dungeon is at full contract capacity. All experience produced is being paid to contractors.
I scampered away, [Dangersense] warning me of an incoming threat before a whole new wave emerged from the cave. I ran back to Galine, but the giant centipedes weren’t attacking us; they were fleeing, as other giant centipedes turned on them.
“Holy fuck,” I muttered, watching the centipede civil war as they bit, killed, and ate each other.
I felt unreasonably itchy. I needed a shower. I needed to burn these clothes. I needed to never see a bug again in my life.
A contracted Giant Centipede has been killed.
A contracted Giant Centipede has been killed.
A contracted Giant Centipede has been killed.
I kept getting alerts as centipedes were killed. I tuned them out, waiting for this all to be over. The contracted centipedes seemed to win, I could only tell because the messages slowed down as centipedes dragged brethren back into the cave.
“That was horrifying,” I muttered in disgust.
“What… happened?” Galine frowned.
“A bunch of them got um contracted to protect the dungeon, and they turned on the others,” I explained.
“It is good some died,” Candy spoke up telepathically. “We are making a profit now.”
“How do you know?” I frowned, unable to get any information from the dungeon core now.
“I am linked with it,” Candy explained. “Watch this.”
I didn’t know what was coming. But after a moment, a small swarm emerged, crawling over each other like a wave as they worked together to tug the core free and drag it with them further into the cave. I shuddered. At least the core would be safe.
“I'm not sure I’ve ever been so grossed out,” Galine laughed
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Let’s um… let’s go back now.”
“Or Candy? Anything else to do?” I checked.
“No, not now, I got it. Um… thank you, Pamela,” she added, still different.
Galine and I walked a bit away before she knelt down so I could climb on her back again.
“Would you kick the shit out of me if I said giddyup?” I asked sweetly, shifting to make myself comfortable as she stood.
“I wouldn’t push your luck,” she chuckled.
We headed back towards the path in contemplative silence. I analyzed [Dungeon Contract]. After so few skills, things were really starting to pick up the pace.
[Dungeon Contract]
You may form a dungeon contract with a creature, offering a salary of experience from the dungeon’s production in return for employing the creature to defend the core.
Employed creatures will follow your directions or the directions of any managers.
May require negotiation for fair pay and working conditions or risk desertion.
That was a lot more complicated than I had assumed it would be. It also very clearly meant I could use more than slimes in my dungeon, though presumably I could make them contractors too. But where was the limit? Was it just relatively mindless creatures? Or could I hire people through the skill? What about Galine? Could I essentially hire her to guard a dungeon?
Presumably, as long as the creature was willing. Hence, the negotiation for fair pay and working conditions. Regardless, it was good to know my dungeon would have some defences. And if Candy really was linked to the dungeon, then it would give her stuff to do.
“So,” Galine spoke up. “What do you do now that you have a dungeon?”
“I’m not really sure,” I admitted. “I guess grow it bigger.”
Surprisingly, Candy didn’t chime in.
“I think Candy said she wanted to make the dungeon look villainous,” I continued. “So… I don’t know, maybe somehow there's a skill to do stonework.”
Galine chuckled. “Sounds like an ongoing project.”
“Yeah,” I shrugged. “Maybe I could find bigger and badder monsters to guard it. I think Candy said it will grow bigger.”
“Oh yeah? So maybe find some kind of work that sets you on an adventure to encounter monsters?” she suggested casually.
“I’m not becoming a mercenary,” I groaned. “Which does remind me I should probably figure out how to actually get enrolled at the academy,” I hummed. “And I should probably find a job since a few silver every five days isn’t great.”
“Well…” Galine blew out a breath. “For what it's worth, I’m glad you’re staying in Agocester for a little while at least.”
“Oh yeah?” I smiled. “Why’s that?”
“Well, I’m hardly going to go on a picnic alone,” Galine snorted. “Who will swat the bugs from my rump?”
I laughed. “I am at your service. Though maybe somewhere with fewer centipedes next time.”
“Agreed, creepy buggers,” Galine shivered. I couldn’t help but smile at the fact that there would be a next time.
“Hey, Galine? Can you look back here for a sec?” I asked slyly.
“Hmm?” she asked, twisting as much as you could with her human torso.
I gently cupped her cheek, and after a smile, leaned forward and kissed her. She grabbed my robe and tugged me even closer, only half hauling me to the ground. It was a terrible and clumsy angle, but as she gently grazed her teeth along my bottom lip, I couldn’t bring myself to mind all that much.
“I know it's not really the time, but I just wanted to say I really don’t mind the… centaur thing,” I smiled.
“Good,” she said with a final gentle peck on my lips. “And I don’t mind the slime thing, as long as you're safe and… happy.”
“Good,” I smiled dumbly, unable to worry too much about everything that could possibly go wrong in the moment. “Though I think Candy and I are long overdue for an honest conversation.”
“Yes,” Candy agreed gently, “But later. Have fun with Galine.”
Who was I to argue with that? We chatted happily the whole way back to Agocester, where I told the famous story of Humphrey Howarth and the famous duel where the member of British parliament had stripped almost nude in preparation to shoot his opponent with a gun. I was pretty sure Galine didn’t believe a word of it.