Chapter 42 - 41: Botanica
Foolish. You have no idea what his scouting range is.
"Probably pretty far. But what does it matter? He can't hurt me."
If you can run back to your farm first. If nothing wrong happens. The Infinite is a complex place, Tulland. And if he's shown every card in his hand. Everyone holds a little information back. He has capabilities you have yet to learn.
"I bet. But this is a good enough wager for me." Tulland leaned a bit further from the thin upper trunk of the tree he was hiding in. From here, he could get a better look at the rogue's camp. "And it's worth making bets like this from time to time."
At least one thing he said was true, though. He is looking for something.
The rogue had so far shown a habit of taking walks that lasted no more than a few hours, coming home and dumping what few animal materials he seemed to harvest in a pit of sorts before covering it with a rock, perhaps eating, and then moving out again.
Following him was not an option, or at least not a safe one. Tulland eventually confirmed that the rogue couldn't see him from a distance, so long as he was holding still. He was reluctant to test the limits of that, and mostly let the man go on his walks unmonitored.
When Tulland did learn more about what he was up to, it was on accident. Tulland was sticking tight to trees on his way to the man's camp when the System had suddenly cut into his thoughts.
Be still, Tulland. As still as the grave. It's a wonder he hasn't seen you yet.
Tulland agreed, especially when he heard the man moving by. The rogue was several yards away, on a game path of sorts that gave him a less than clear view of Tulland's position. He should have seen Tulland but he wasn't paying attention. He was as highly distracted as Tulland could imagine someone being, talking to himself in a not-so-quiet voice.
"Not his farm tunnel. He dug that himself. Not the tunnel to the east. No caves to the west and north. So it has to be that first one again. I missed it. I must have," the rogue mumbled.
Tunnels? Caves? What's he looking for? Tulland had been keeping the System connection on for company. He needed that after losing his only friend in The Infinite. He even went so far as to re-enable the System to listen to his selective thoughts. It was yet another benefit from The Infinite's Dungeon System, making it possible to communicate without having to speak out loud.
It's hard to say. But the fact that he's looking for something does resolve a bit of confusion.
How so?
Farming every bit of experience out of every floor is usually a fool's errand. You do it because it takes so little time for you. The armored warrior you've befriended seems to have her own reasons and goals. But for someone like this rogue to return is… odd. Unusual. Unless there's a treasure. Then it all comes together.
How would he ever know there's something like that to find?
There are ways. The most likely is that he won a treasure map of sorts, and had to go searching to get the more practical aspects of the reward.
Seems like a bad deal. Extra work.
Don't be foolish. Think of what you know about dungeons and The Infinite. With risk and effort comes reward. There is no question that, should he find it, the treasure will be a massive boon to him.
The rogue made his way back towards camp in the failing light, and Tulland followed at a safe distance once was reasonably sure his enemy had moved on. The rogue settled in, rolling out a sleeping mat of some kind and going to sleep. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to want to spend too much effort trying to find it in the failing light.
Tulland made his way home, juiced his plants with magic power, and fed his Jewel Moss. It was starting to turn red from all the juice, something he hoped wasn't hurting it. His Farmer's Intuition seemed split on whether it was helping or not, but either way he'd have to wait to see the results.
After that, he harvested a few choice plants and took the same trip he suspected the rogue would the next morning. He doubted he'd have much luck finding what the rogue couldn't in the dark, but that wasn't the point. He had groundwork to lay.
Once he had arranged things to his liking, he finally returned home. Crawling into his hole, he went to sleep guarded by an army of briars.
The next day, Tulland was up well before dawn, eager to get to the rogue's camp before the man had a chance to go searching again. When he got there, a couple of the objects the rogue had left around his sleeping area were gone, packed back into the rogue's now overloaded pack.
He's packing up. With any luck, he'll leave right now, and end this madness for you.
"Maybe. But probably not."
Why?
"The treasure, remember? He'll keep searching. He must be confident he'll find it today."
And then leave. Which I recommend you let him.
"No. I won't make it that easy for him."
I must again advise you that this is foolishness. With his speed and power, he would certainly…
Tulland cut the connection. He had a bit of time left before the rogue was truly packed, and he needed every second of it to prepare.
—
| Botanica (Lance, Crude) By forming Jewel Moss onto the end of an Ironbranch Sapling and encouraging it to grow to it's multi-faceted adulthood, you have created a sort of symbiont-headed polearm of significant piercing power. The head or shaft of this weapon can withstand anything up to a full, directed strike from a strength-focused class. For reasons similar to those previously mentioned in the summary of the enhanced Ironbranch sapling, this weapon lacks some of the potential power an expertly crafted weapon might bring to bear. Still, it is a real weapon, if not a particularly refined one. In most situations, it will serve.
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