"What an odd woman," The Courier muttered to himself, leaving the silver-haired beauty behind him. Was that a goddess just now? Nah, no way in hell. She was as strong as human and I doubt gods are that weak, then again, the books didn't specify how did the gods act or look only that they descended from Heaven. Still, it was probably some kind of magic, that's the only explanation that makes sense to me.
The way people looked at the woman back then sent alarm bells in his head. They looked like they were ready to jump her and rape her right there and then. It wasn't the first time he saw something similar back in Mojave, so he did the only thing that he could at the time. He scared the life out of them. Terrifying Presence was something he didn't use that much due to a simple fact that there was no reason to do so. Instead of trying to intimidate opponents, it was much easier to simply blow their brains out or just turn them into a pile of goo with plasma caster.
Having said that, the look of utter terror on his victims was well worth it, not to mention it was enough to send even experienced NCR rangers running for their lives. It was also a pretty good way of distracting his opponents and making them pause. That time when Jaun Baptiste threatened to kill Cass, he gave him one warning and the man backed off, looking like he was about to piss himself.
With a chuckle, the Courier headed towards the Guild, hoping to finally start earning money to rebuild his space shuttle and go back home. There were things to do, bandits to kill, nation to run, not indulge gods with his epic tales of survival. The entrance to the guild was guarded by a pair of massive wooden doors, fully open to the public, the building the colour of white paint. It was at least three stories tall and looked like some kind of manor from the outside.
Heading inside, he noticed a long counter, where many employees were dealing with other adventurers. As he pondered upon his next move, he noticed a woman waving towards him, speaking something in their language. Seeing no better solution, he walked up to her, his armour drawing the glances of nearby adventurers.
The woman in question had long pointy ears akin, similar to the elves he saw before, though a bit shorter than average. Her brown hair reached to her shoulders, while her emerald-coloured eyes were a sight to behold. A very attractive woman in her own right. She smiled at him, before she began to speak, "Good morning, is there something I can help you with?"
And just like the last time, the Courier had to put his bag on the ground, pull out his utensils and write what he wanted from the Guild. "I would like to register as adventurer, miss…?" He wrote and handed over the clipboard with a pencil. The pencil itself making her frown, as she had never seen anything like it before. It left no ink spots and was much less cumbersome than a quill, which would greatly help in her line of work.
Eina was surprised by, to say the least. A man, who couldn't speak and instead communicated via a sheet of paper was not something she expected to see in her life. Still, she could work with that and quickly wrote down the answer. "I am Eina Tulle, a receptionist here at the guild. If you want to explore the Dungeon you have to fill out this form, with your full name, your current Familia and your age."
He looked at the answer and bit his lip, before writing down 'Courier Six', twenty-eight and crossing the Familia from the form, before handing it over. She looked over the form and frowned, wanting to ask a question or two, before she reminded herself she had to write it down first. "Is that your true name? And why did you cross out Familia from the sheet? Do you wish to explore the Dungeon by yourself? Also, I hope you don't mind me asking, but can you not speak?"
She had to be sure, while the Courier wrote the answers down and handed over the clipboard once again. "The name I wrote is what people know me as, I do have a real name, but I do not wish to share it, nor do I wish to join any Familia in any foreseeable future. If possible, I would like to explore the Dungeon using my own strength and skills. And to answer your question, I can speak, but not the language everyone in Orario uses. Back where I come from nobody spoke it, so I can only read and write. Is that a problem, miss Tulle?"
She bit her lip, while she tried to figure out what to write before she made up her mind. "I see… Under normal circumstances, the adventurers are not allowed to enter without god's blessing. However, there have been similar cases, most of which decide to join Familia, not able to progress past floor five. In that case, the adventurers are checked for Falna to make sure they do not avoid any taxes. They also have to surrender ten per cent of their profits to the Guild when they decide to sell what they find at the Dungeon to the Guild. I will also have to check your status to make sure, you aren't one of wanted adventurers that have caused troubles in the past."
"I see, regardless of the fact, I still wish to explore the Dungeon without Falna and I am willing to sign an agreement with the Guild to make it possible," He responded.
Seeing the man was adamant, she gestured him to follow her, leading him to a small area where adventurers could converse with their advisors in private. The man following close behind her, making little to no sound, which unnerved her to an extent. There was also the fact, that the sword clung to his back, despite there being no obvious harness.
The two sat down in small green puffs opposite to each other before Eina took the clipboard once again and began writing. "First of all, I need you to show me your back. I have to make sure you are not lying when it comes to the Falna, after that the Guild can sign the contract."
He nodded at the request before he put both the bag and the weapon on the floor and then began taking the armour off piece by piece, leaving only the trousers and the helmet on. What she didn't expect was the sheer number of bandages that covered the Courier's body, which she found unusual. It was also a bit embarrassing, but she decided to bury her feelings for now.
The man then turned around and began taking off the bandages, making sure she wouldn't be able to see anything more than his back. As he progressed, the half-elf became more and more astonished, her eyes spread wide open, the mouth forming in a shape of an o. Only when he took the last of the bandages, all she could feel was a complete and utter shock at the sheer amount of scars covering the man's body.
Everywhere she looked, she could see scars of varying shapes and sizes. Some looked like they were made by tiny balls or something similar, some looked like somebody poured molten lava on top of the man's skin, but nothing could compare to the giant scar in the middle of his back. It looked like it was made by a dragon, three vicious claw marks spanning from waist to the base of the neck. However, beneath all that scar tissue, she could see muscles honed by experience, similar to that of a statue.
She found herself blushing and had to cough to regain her composure. There was no sign of Falna, as far as she could tell, but it could be locked, which made it invisible from prying eyes. It was a technique used by the gods to prevent the status of their adventurers from being read by other Familias. In cases like this, the guild used a lantern-like prop that revealed the existence of Falna. It prevented spies from entering the city but it also allowed to check the status of the adventurer.
She used the prop and frowned, the object showing not a sign of Falna. Eina was astonished, to say the least, this amount of scars wasn't normal, especially without Falna, yet it was in front of her very eyes. However, it was true, the man possessed no Falna to speak of. Taking in the clipboard, she wrote, "You can dress up now."
The man nodded, put the bandages back on, before doing the same with his armour. Once he was fully dressed, his attention turned towards the half-Elf. "Is it done?"
"Yes, it's been confirmed that you possess no Falna. From now on, you are free to venture into the Dungeon. The Guild will be informed of your circumstances and you will receive a special badge to easily confirm or deny your identity," She answered, before filling all the necessary forms and handing out a metal badge with insignia of the Guild to the Courier. "There is only one thing left. Under normal circumstances, the Guild provides basic sword and armour to new adventurers, but I don't think it will be necessary in your case. You also gain access to your own personal advisor, if you wish."
"Personal advisor?" He asked, confused by the term.
"A personal advisor is a person designated by Guild that assists an adventurer when they decide to explore the Dungeon. Their main purpose is to provide basic knowledge of the Dungeon, prevent unnecessary deaths and guide them as they descend deeper into the Dungeon, warning them of any potential threats," She explained.
"I see before I decide upon the advisor, I would like to ask you a couple of questions if you don't mind?" He asked while Eina nodded in response. "First of all, I would like to know if you know anyone willing to teach me how to speak in exchange for Valis? Secondly, where can I buy weapons and armour? Third, is there any nearby inn that you would recommend? And last, but not least, I would like to request a set of posters or pictures with gods that have formed Familia so far and operate currently in Orario. And when it comes to a personal advisor, I would be more than happy to accept your proposal."
Eina blinked at the last request, since the man just wrote he wasn't interested in joining the Familia, but came to the conclusion he most likely wanted to avoid them. "Very well, first of all, your personal advisor could do that, but if you are in a hurry, there is a book store on the main street. The owner there is kind and if you explain your situation, she will gladly help you. Weapons and armour can be found at Babel starting from the fourth floor. The Hostess of Fertility provides housing, they are fairly expensive though, two thousand Valis a day. About the Familias and gods in Orario, it will take a while, but in the next few days, I should be able to make a full list."
"Very well, thank you for patience, miss Tule. I appreciate it," He responded and nodded as a sign of gratitude.
"That's what I am here for after all… Oh, one last thing. When it comes to your advisor, do you have any preference, like humans, elves and such?" She asked while the Courier cupped his chin in response.
"I do not have any real preference, but if possible, I would prefer my advisor to be female," He answered, while Eina nodded with a smile.
"That's all I wanted to know. In any event, that should be the basis of it, I would recommend you wait for your advisor, before heading to the Dungeon. The adventurers should not venture," She wrote, underlining the last part.
Reading this, the Courier chuckled, before he nodded at the request. Once everything was settled, the duo bid their goodbyes, the Courier leaving the guild, waving at Eina in the process.
"So, how did it go?" Misha Floot asked Eina's co-worker with pink hair and eyes of the same colour.
"It went well enough, he can't speak, so we had to exchange notes all the time," She explained, while Misha smiled at the response.
"Exchanging notes so soon? It seems I misjudged you after all," She teased, while Eina rolled her eyes, already used to the teasing of her co-worker.
Outside the guild, the Courier looked at the silver badge he received, before hiding it inside his pipboy and heading towards the Dungeon. As much as he wanted to wait for his advisor, he decided to see, just how strong the monsters were. Besides, he had already seen some powerful individuals and he was pretty sure they fought the monsters before, which meant, he should be able to handle himself just fine.
As he walked towards the Babel, the streets as busy as always, he found himself getting excited at the prospect. He was getting himself into trouble, one he wasn't prepared for, one he didn't know much about, just like the old times. He missed those, things were simple back then, Mojave was just a landscape he travelled and the NCR and Legion were duking it out at the battle for Hoover Dam.
With a shake of his head, he entered the tower and began descending into the Dungeon, step by step, until he finally arrived at the end of the staircase. The first thing he saw was a hallway, wide enough to easily allow passage for a small army, illuminated by the light blue coloured walls. So, that's why they do not take torches or use magic to navigate the Dungeon. This reminds me of the Vaults back in Mojave, with less spore carrier infestation. With a smirk on his face, he began traversing the Dungeon, earning an occasional glance or two, alongside the whisper from less armoured adventurers.
"Who is that guy?" One of them asked, eyeing the equipment on the Courier.
"Don't know, never seen him before, but the armour looks expensive. Either he is some kind of noble or first-class adventurer," Another one responded.
The envy in their eyes couldn't get more obvious, but he was used to it. It wasn't the first time some stupid thugs tried to mug him, even when he was fully dressed up in a suit of power armour and wielding a plasma caster. The stupidity they exhibited was enough to make him lose any remnants of respect towards humanity. If there was one thing without end, it was human stupidity.
One thing became obvious, as he progressed along the path. He couldn't keep walking forward forever, the path diverging in front of him. Since he had no clue, which way to go, he took the one on his right and began walking around. Oddly enough there were fewer adventurers here than on what he presumed was the main path. Most likely, due to a fact, that the deeper one went the better loot could be obtained, making early floors that less desirable.
As he walked down the corridor, he heard the sound that made him stop in his tracks. It was the sound of monster birth, the walls cracking, as vaguely humanoid beings emerged from the walls, fully grown and ready to kill. Fascinating, so the Dungeon can easily spawn monsters on top of adventurers, which are also ready to fight. I wish I could do that too, maybe Think Tank can figure something out when I finally get back.
The monsters that emerged from the walls were goblins, similar to the ones he fought before, but stronger for some reason. The other ones looked like someone took a wolf's head and claws put it on a human torso and covered it in fur, known as a kobold. The monsters charged, snarling and ready to kill, while the Courier waited for them patiently and allowed them to strike first. One of the kobolds used it to its advantage and slashed at his face, while the rest of the group, attacked every single part of his body, searching for a weak spot.
He could feel the claws skidding over the surface of his armour not leaving a scratch in its wake, the same thing happening all over his body. It was pathetic, to say the least, leaving him sorely disappointed. Giant Mantises and Radroaches are more dangerous than those things… Using his sword against them would be waste, so instead, he punched the nearest kobold and watched as its head exploded in a cloud of gore, halting the attack in the process.
The monsters stopped their attack, jumping away at the death of their comrade. Interesting, so they will attack someone even if he is too strong to defeat, but they can also use some basic tactics to increase their odds of winning. Unfortunately, that's where their intelligence ended, even back in his world, the raiders would sometimes run away when half of their comrades were dead and they didn't put a dent in him. These monsters, on the other hand, had no self-preservation to speak of and simply charged with blood lust in their eyes.
At this point, the Courier had enough and began punching the monsters one by one, until not a single one remained, leaving their remains on the floor. Many had turned into ash, but there were still plenty of corpses left, so he walked up to one of them and searched him. As soon as he removed the magic stone the size of a fingernail from the corpse, the rest of the body turned to ash, leaving nothing behind. He had seen it happen before with goblins, but seeing it with his own eyes, just left him confused about the monster kind. It didn't help that the monsters sometimes left behind a part of their body like Kobold's nail and Goblin's fang.
It made no sense, what so ever. The monsters were born fully grown, but when killed turned into ash. They bled, they fought, but they weren't like real animals or people for that matter. To top it off, each of them had a massive weak spot in the form of a magic stone embedded in their body, the destruction of which killed the monster instantly. The one good upside of this whole situation was the fact, that he wouldn't have to worry about the corpses left in the dungeon. He could imagine how bad would the whole thing smell if adventurers had to manually drag the rotting carcasses of the monsters out to the surface. On the upside, free fertilizer.
The Courier chuckled at his thoughts, before standing up and heading out to explore the rest of the floor. Going deeper could wait, he wanted to savour the Dungeon, explore it at his own pace. He wasn't getting anywhere anytime soon, so might as do just that. After all, it's how he got some of the most powerful and unique items he possessed.
As he walked along the path, more and more monsters decided to attack him, the result, lots of monster bodies strewn across the dungeon. Until he came what he would describe as a brightly coloured chicken, a fluffy yellow-green feathered rooster to be exact, which after seeing him clucked loudly, before running away very fast in the opposite direction. That was new, was that a monster? But it looked just like ordinary chicken… Then again, no chicken would survive in the Dungeon for long periods of time.
He considered killing the monster, but it didn't sit well with him. He was used to fighting back and killing those he deemed scum, but he didn't go around killing Brahmin and Big Horners for the fun of it. The few times he had to kill one, was due to self-defence and the meat it provided enough to keep him sated for at least a month. Remember, Courier, those are monsters, they do not leave any meat behind and who knows it could provide some good loot. I really hope, I am not wrong about this whole situation.
Shaking his head, the Courier crouched before activating the stealth field and heading in the direction the monster went. From what he had seen, the monster was different from the rests, as it ran away from him, instead of trying to murder him. That alone made it trickier to catch since he either had to catch up to it or sneak up on it. As he moved through the Dungeon, the monsters didn't notice him, not even the kobolds that he presumed had a better sense of smell than average due to their canine head. Then again, he could sneak up on the likes of Night Stalker, Cazadors, Deathclaws and such, even while dressed in a suit of power armour and standing right in front of their faces.
Stealth was incredibly powerful back in Mojave. It allowed one to deliver a devastating critical strike, which could easily kill even a deathclaw. If one also had a silenced weapon, it was entirely possible to destroy a whole deathclaw nest and remain hidden. The last thing, you never see. Fitting, if I say so myself. It was how he avoided consequences when killing those with high positions and such. Also, Marked Men, those things used anti-materiel rifle, which really bloody hurt. Getting a drop on them was one of the most satisfying experiences, especially after traversing the hellhole the Divide was.
As he moved past the monsters, he found himself in a room with a tall pillar, leaking some kind of white fluid. All around him he could see monsters, which were slurping loudly as they drank it, including the same rooster, he had seen two minutes prior. So, they can eat… You know what, I am not even going to question it. Still, stability at around fifty per cent, I'd better make it quick. With his resolve renewed, he avoided bumping into the monsters, sneaking right up on the rooster. Then with one swift movement of a Blood-Nap, a unique bowie knife, he cut off its head, alerting all the monsters in the vicinity.
They were looking around wildly, not able to comprehend what had just happened. However, the Courier was already on top of the body of the rooster and using his pipboy, he easily transferred all the items from the body of the monster to himself, including a magic stone and a golden egg. He watched as the body turned into ash, the monsters taking a step back, confusion and fear evident in their movement. It was one of the many functions the original pipboy possessed. In his mind, the pipboy was worth way more than a weapon, simply due to its functionality. Plasma Rifle could melt things, but nothing else provided such a detailed analysis of his body while keeping track of his vitals among many others.
With a smirk on his face, the Courier proceeded to leave the area, deciding it was enough exploring for a day. Until he found himself on the main corridor, turning visible along the way, allowing his implant to recharge. Now that he had seen a sample of what the Dungeon had to offer, he was satisfied knowing all the hard work he put into himself during his travels paid off in the long run.
Leaving the Dungeon behind him, the man entered the plaza surrounding the tower noted the sun was slowly setting down. Did I really spend that much time in the Dungeon? Then again, it was pretty big and I managed to explore almost the entirety of the floor. Seeing it was slowly getting late, he decided to head back into the guild to deposit all the gemstones and the egg he found at the rooster. Going through the door, he scanned the employees until he found the one who spoke with him recently and headed towards her.
She smiled at him, a clipboard already in her hands along with a feather and ink. That was another difference, nobody used pencils only inks and feathers. Maybe he should leave adventuring to somebody else and simply set up his own merchant empire? Then again, it would be boring and probably draw way more attention, especially if he tried to introduce things like guns and stimpaks to the world.
Walking up to the woman, he took off his duffel bag, brought up his utensils and wrote. "Hello again, miss Eina. I have been to the Dungeon and would like to exchange what I have gathered for money, can you assist me with that?"
The woman read the sentence and immediately glared at him, really wishing she could yell at the Courier right in front of the entire guild. "Why did you go to the Dungeon?" She wrote, huffing as the man just shrugged in response.
"I wanted to see the Dungeon with own eyes, see if my skills are more than enough to at least survive inside of it. Do not be alarmed, I do not wish to go to the deepest floors on my very first day, but at the same time, standing still doing nothing is not something I take great enjoyment in," He explained, while the half-Elf just sighed at the response.
"I told you to wait for your advisor…," She muttered to herself, before writing down. "It's was irresponsible and dangerous, do you not care for your safety?"
"I care, I do not like being hurt, thank you very much. However, miss Tulle, you seem to be under impression that I can not take care of myself. I assure you, the monsters I have seen in the Dungeon are not worse than the ones I fought before," He responded, while the receptionist bit her lip at the response.
"All I ask of you to be careful, there were many adventurers before you that had overestimated their strength and died as a result of their pride. Anyway, I will lead to you to exchange boxes, come with me," She wrote, before heading towards one of the many exchange boxes, where the adventurers received Valis for their efforts.
The Courier took off the bag from his back and dumped it's content on the tray, along with the badge, a small pile of magic stones, nails, fangs, and a single golden egg. Eina could feel her jaw-dropping to the ground as she took in the sight in front of her. The number of monsters he had to kill was at least in double digits, not to mention Jack Bird's Golden Egg, which was one of the rarer drops the Guild had seen on a regular basis.
The fact that the Courier did it all without Falna, only made this whole even more impressive and made Eina worry skyrocket. The person inside a booth, took a look at the badge, before taking in all the loot and storing in a separate container, before handing the Courier a handful of golden coins.
"One million Valis for your effort, here you go," The man inside the booth said, before gesturing the Courier to hop along.
He turned around only to see very angry looking, Eina with a glare that could kill. She gestured him to follow along and knowing that he didn't have much choice in the matter, that wouldn't annoy her any further, he went along with her to the same spot the were not so long ago.
She gestured him to sit, before taking in a deep breath and calming herself down. "Why did you go to the Dungeon?" She asked with a glare.
Even if he couldn't understand her exact words, the meaning behind them was clear as day. So, he did the only thing he knew. He pulled out his utensils from the bag, before writing down his question, "I presume you are angry, to say the least. Did I do something wrong?"
She wanted to lash out for being so bloody dense, before she managed to reel in her emotions, letting out a sigh of pure undiluted worry. "Going into the Dungeon on your own is incredibly dangerous by itself. You should have at least waited for your advisor to explain to you the dangers of it." She wrote, before adding on top of that, "How many did you kill?"
"Over thirty," He wrote simply, while Eina blinked in confusion, not able to believe her own ears.
"I told you the adventurers should not venture, why did you not listen to me?" She asked, trying her hardest to discern, why would he be so careless about the whole thing.
"One, I did not venture, I was prepared for the Dungeon to the best of my ability, outside of the fact, I did not know about the layout or the monsters located within. Something that I have experienced more than once. Two, I stuck to the first floor only and called it a day, when I filled my bag with the drops. Three, I did not listen to you, because I had prior experience fighting monsters on the surface," He explained, while Eina just put her head in the palms of her hands.
"Even then, you should not go to the Dungeon without any knowledge about it. The Dungeon is 'alive' for the lack of better words, it can change, block off paths, summon entire hordes of monsters. Going in blindly has claimed many adventurers," She explained.
"You have lost some of them, didn't you?" Gaining a look of the surprise from the woman. "I have seen the look in your eyes before, the way you gesture, what you write. It's written all over your face. That's why you are so worried, aren't you, miss Tulle?" Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to deny the accusation, but couldn't. "That explains it, let me tell you a bit of advice. Never get attached, never get invested or else you will find yourself crying, unable to face the truth. I have seen people working on their dream project, their passion for years, only for it to be stripped away in instant, be it by blackmail, false accusation or simple theft. Don't make the same mistake."
When Eina read that, she didn't know what to say, how to respond, as the man slowly stood up, before leaving the half-elf behind alone with her thoughts.
"That could have gone better," The Courier muttered to himself as he left the Guild and headed towards the Hostess of Fertility Eina mentioned. It was brutal but necessary, he wanted to make it clear, that she shouldn't be worried about him, much less attached. Still, this whole situation left a bitter taste in his mouth.
After only a couple of minutes, he found himself at the entrance of the pub. The structure itself was a two-story building made of stone, similar to an inn. The front entrance was guarded by a set of double doors with wood carvings decorating the frame. Overall, the structure was impressive, but compared to the Tops or even Ultra-Luxe it paled in comparison.
As he walked inside he could see dozens of adventurers drinking away their worries, enjoying their meals and talking among each other. The waitresses of different races were attending to the guests, making everyone seem welcome. The atmosphere very similar to the pubs he visited back in Mojave Wasteland.
The waitresses that were busy going around the place were all female. The first one was a human girl, judging by the lack of spiky ears or tail. Her hair and eyes of the same light grey colouration. The second one was an elf with green hair and sky blue eyes. The third, a catgirl with brown hair and eyes, while another cat girl with green eyes and black hair attended the guests. Last but not least, was another human with brown eyes and medium-length brown hair.
His entrance did not go unnoticed, as the adventurers looked at him with curiosity, before returning to their tables. He could feel himself relax a little, it seemed like he would be able to blend in Orario just fine.
Looking around, he noticed what he presumed was the owner of the establishment, judging by what the pipboy told him. Having said that, all of the female employees were stronger than average, capable of withstanding a bullet or two. Walking up to the main desk, he put down his bag, the owner looking right at him.
She was a tall woman, almost as tall as him, standing six feet tall. She possessed brown eyes and long brown hair tied in a bun. She was also wearing a blue apron and the way her eyes moved judging his armour told him everything he needed. She liked money, that was for certain. "Hello there, what can I get you, mister?"
The Courier didn't understand and with a sigh, he pulled out his utensils before writing down his thoughts, "I would like to request a room in your establishment. Starting today and lasting for a month."
The eyebrow of the owner raised at the odd way of communication, but she presumed the man was unable to speak or hear. Still, with a smile on her face, she wrote, "The room costs two thousand Valis a day. You will have to pay sixty thousand Valis for the whole duration, paid upfront. The breakfast comes in with the room, but everything else will have to be paid in extra."
It was pretty simple agreement, so he took his 'hard-earned' Valis and counted the proper amount, before handing it over to the woman. Then in return, the woman handed over a key to one of the rooms upstairs, with a tag of two attached to it. With a nod of his head, he left the woman, before heading towards his room, going up the wooden stairs.
The room itself was simple but cosy. It had a single wooden bed, a nightstand with a gem powered night light, a single window, a desk, and a cupboard. However, to him, being stuck in an attic of a church for one whole month made this room look like paradise. With a thud, the bag landed on the floor, before he threw himself on top of the bed, the wood squeaking in protest. With a delighted sigh, he breathed in the smell of freshly washed sheets, a small smile spreading on top of his lips.
He looked at the time and noticed it was still early, only eight pm give or take. There was still that book store he wanted to visit and repay for the books but decided to leave it for tomorrow. He could simply leave the books in the back, knock on the door and evacuate before anyone saw him. With a satisfied sigh, he let his body fall asleep, relaxing in the process.
The next day, he woke up late, at six am. But, he needed it, especially after all the time, he spent sleeping on the bedroll kit. The bed was simply too good to leave and he did so begrudgingly. Getting up from the bed, he went to one of the showers located in the corridor to wash himself off, before leaving towards the guild, nodding towards the employees along the way, who repeated the gesture.
On his way there, he swung by to the book store, left the books, along with a few thousand Valis as compensation, before finding himself in front of the Guild. He went through the door and walked up to Eina, who looked alright, despite yesterday's events. The two greeted themselves with a nod before he took out his utensils to write. "Good morning, miss Tulle."
"Good Morning, Mister Six. Your advisor is already waiting for you," She wrote, a small smile on her face.
"I am glad to hear it, may I ask who it is?" He asked while the woman pointed at herself. He could feel his jaw drop a little. After what he wrote to her yesterday, he was pretty sure, she wouldn't want to with him ever again, much less be his advisor. Having said that, he had a bad feeling about this whole situation.
The woman then gestured him to follow, the two ending up in what looked like a classroom. As he went inside, the door locked behind him, the half-elf hiding the key in one of her pockets, the smile on her face giving him creeps. He gulped, as he realized he might had made a mistake, a grievous one at that, as the woman pulled out a big paper sheet with a single sentence on it, "I am not letting you die in the Dungeon, nor am I letting you leave until you learn how to speak and understand the dangers of the Dungeon. I hope we get along, mister Six."
At that moment, the Courier knew, he fucked up. His blood ran cold as he stared at the seemingly innocent girl making him more nervous than a deathclaw promontory. What followed next was eight hours of torture, as the woman did a terrific job of teaching him in a way that made him do everything in his power to end it as soon as possible.
It was only when she decided that he had enough, she let him go, the Courier booking it out as fast as his legs could carry him back to the Hostess of Fertility. Forget the Dungeon, forget the Caesar's Legion, this woman is a Devil's incarnate! And the worst part was, she wouldn't let him go. In fact, the guards located at the entrance were ordered to not let him through, unless he completed his speaking lessons along with the Dungeon lessons. He could, of course, sneak in, but he was pretty sure, she would not stop unless she got the results she expected.
So, that's how the whole week was spent, with the Courier going back to the inn, cramming as much knowledge as he could before heading back for more torture. In fact, he even bought books and maps from the Guild to get this over with as soon as he could. He used coffee back from Mojave, as little sleep as he could muster and his entire willpower to get out of this mess.
The only upside of this whole situation was the fact that Eina came through with his request. He finally knew, what gods existed in Orario, including the goddess he met. Not that he paid much attention to it since Eina was adamant about breaking him mentally and physically at the same time.
Only when his 'advisor' was satisfied with the results, she allowed him to go into the Dungeon. In fact, he wanted to get away from her so desperately, he found himself at floor five, before he realized it. The way he ran, it looked like the Devil himself was hot on his trail, the adventurers looking at him like he lost his mind.
With a sigh, he decided to head back, only for a roar, followed by a scream of fright to enter his ears. He stopped in his tracks and noticed a white-haired boy running desperately for his life, being chased by what looked like a Minotaur from the legends he read about and the same kind of monster described by the books he read. Hmm… That looks dangerous, but the monster is still not that tough. Well, at least it's tougher than a radroach… Hang on a second, haven't I seen this kid somewhere before? It was a pitiful sight, the boy barely able to dodge the swings of a black club-like weapon of the beast, tripping and falling a few meters behind the Courier.
The monster then noticed him and with savage roar swung his weapon on top of Courier's head. A loud crack sounded across the Dungeon, the beast grinning at him before it's weapon snapped in half, earning a gasp of surprise from the boy and the monster. The Courier though barely felt it, as the geckos hit harder than it. However, before he could kill the monster, a sword flashed in the Dungeon, before the blood sprayed from the beast, drenching him and the boy in the process. It's body turning to ash.
Behind it, he saw a beautiful young girl, with eyes and hair the same colour of blond, akin to gold. She was wearing a simple breastplate along with some loosely attached pieces of armour, that barely resembled one. Her weapon of choice was a simple sword with a blue handle and the sheath of the same colour.
"Are you… okay?" She asked, her eyes glancing over the two. The boy didn't even flinch, most likely frozen in shock.
The Courier, on the other hand, groaned as he looked at his armour and sighed. "Great, now I have to clean it up again, do you know how hard it is to get the blood of the armour?"
"I…," She started only for the boy to turn completely red, yell on top of his lungs, before running away leaving the two alone in the process. The Courier blinked his eyes, while the woman turned red from having someone run away from her.
Then another person came, a werewolf who was struggling to hold his breath from the laughter. He had grey coloured hair, amber eyes, a blue tattoo on the left side of his face and a lean physique, that many females most likely found attractive, not that he would know, he preferred girls anyway.
"That guy, a friend of yours?" The Courier pointed to the werewolf, while Ais nodded timidly. "Huh, so, what's your name, kid?"
Kid? Ais was surprised, to say the least. The man in front of her didn't know who she was. However, the small Ais inside of her was happy not to be treated like an adult. She blushed, trying to regain her composure before she turned towards the Courier and said quietly, "Ais Wallenstein."
"Ais, huh? I am Six, Courier Six, pleased to meet you," The Courier introduced himself and extended his hand.
She was confused, her mind unable to comprehend the way he acted towards her, not scared, perverted like Loki, more like indifferent. Even the Bete stopped laughing, looking at the Courier like he lost his mind. Ais was confused by the situation, but she managed to put away her sword, before shaking the hand of the man, noticing he had a powerful grip.
"While, it was a pleasure meeting you, miss Wallenstein. I am afraid I have to go, this blood won't clean itself," He said, before nodding towards her and leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Bete wanted to say something, but the look on Ais' face was enough to forget it, his attention on her blushing face. Still, shaking from laughter, his eyes tracing the Courier as he left.
