Rays of sun greeted the Courier once again, blinding him for a moment. He blinked owlishly, stood up, took a quick shower, before heading downstairs.
"Good morning," He greeted.
"Morning," Syr said.
"Good morning, nya," Anya said.
"Good morning, mister Six," Lunoire greeted.
"Morning there," Chloe said.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Mia said with a grin, while the Courier nodded towards them. After that, he sat at one of the free tables and watched as Syr walked up to him.
"May I take your order?" She asked.
"I would like a plate of scrambled eggs if you would be so kind," He replied. The woman nodded, walked up to Mia, told her the order before she turned towards other customers.
He didn't have to wait long before Syr arrived with his order. "Here you go."
"Thank you, miss Flova. Now, before you go, may I ask what happened to miss Lion?" The Courier asked. For some reason the elf was missing, which was unusual, to say the least. All the times he had come here the elf was here, which sent alarm bells in his head. Not the first time he met someone, only to find their corpse a few days later, like Little Buster.
"Ryuu went to visit some of her friends," The waitress lied. The Courier could see it, the subtle body movement, the way her eyes moved. However..., he decided not to pry. It wasn't any of his business, lord knew he had enough secrets of his own.
"Glad to know, now if you excuse me," He said and gestured to the plate in front of him. The waitress nodded before heading out towards the rest of the customers, glancing behind herself one last time, a feeling of unease building up in her chest.
Once he was done with the breakfast, he returned the plate, before heading out towards the Dungeon, saying his goodbyes on his way there. As he walked the streets of Orario, he breathed in then out. It was different from Mojave, a clear, unpolluted air, free of toxins, radiation and carbon dioxide. Ever since he came to this world it felt a bit like Zion all over again, except for bloodthirsty tribals, fetch quests and Daniel being complete cunt he was.
It was one of his many adventures, one that left a lasting impact on him, especially the diary of Randall Clark. The man described his life in Zion, his hardships, his family and what he accomplished. The journey the man went through was something he would remember forever. Even now, the dairies were safely stored in his pipboy and their backup at the Big Mountain, along with other important notes like Bitter Drink recipe taught to him by Ulysses.
He was getting ahead of himself, so he shook his head and focused on the road in front of him, heading towards the entrance to the Dungeon. Randall Clark... He was something else, wasn't he? He lost all his family, went on a war with Vault 22 remnants slaughtering most of them, lost his second wife and child and somehow managed to die of old age... To him, the man was a hero, someone who lost all that mattered and yet still went on, until his body no longer could.
Maybe it was cowardliness, never able to pull the trigger to end it all. Maybe it was fear of losing the memories of those he cherished. Regardless of the reason, if it wasn't for the man, Zion wouldn't be the way it was. And then Daniel came and said 'they will lose their innocence!'. This guy... I swear he had no clue how the world works. You can't run from the world, it will find its way to you. The Courier huffed as he recalled all the bullshit the man spewed out. If it wasn't for Joshua Graham, Zion would have been lost forever to him, to Happy Trails, to Sorrows and to Dead Horses.
As he pondered upon his past, he noticed that he was standing right in front of the Guild. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't seen Eina in a while. It would be good to least reassure her he was still alive and well. With his mind made up, he made his way inside and looked around, before he noticed the one he was looking for. Waving his hand, the elf noticing him with a smile, he walked up to her.
"Good morning, Mister Six. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked.
"Not really no, I just wanted to say hello and show you that I am still alive," He replied.
"Glad to know, may I ask how far did you reach in the Dungeon?" She questioned.
"So far, I have reached level four. I am getting the hang of the monsters and how the Dungeon works," He replied. As much as he wanted to share some of his exploits, he had a feeling Eina would have a heart attack if he told her about fighting the Barbarian for instance.
"That's quick," She noticed, not expecting this result. The current record holder needed a whole year to reach level two and even then she had to spend around a month on the floor before going on to the next, then again the man in front of her was a bit of an anomaly. "Still, please take caution from floor five onward, if you intend to go as far as you can without a Falna. The monsters will keep getting stronger."
"I know, I know, adventurers should not venture, right?" He asked while the elf smiled at him.
"Exactly," She replied. "Say Six, have you seen Bell recently?"
"Not really no, last time I met him on the day of Monsterphilia," He replied. "Why do you ask? Did he get chased by a Minotaur again?"
Eina shook her head with a smile. "Nothing so extreme. However, recently he hired a supporter from a different Familia and for some reason, it bothers me."
"I see... and what do you expect me to do with it?" He asked.
"Keep an eye on him, could you? I have got a bad feeling about it," She replied.
"If I see him, I'll keep it in mind. However, I am not his baby sitter, you know?" He answered.
"That's all I am asking for," Eina replied and sighed. "I swear, he gets into too much trouble on a regular basis."
"That's why you like him so much, don't you? You like when someone depends on you," He teased, while the elf blushed.
"That's...," She started, not sure how to respond.
"Not true, I know, I know. Although you may want to hurry, miss Tulle. There is a certain acquaintance of mine that already seems interested in getting to know Bell better. The two even went together to a Monsterphilia, under the pretence of her lost wallet," He added, while Eina could feel her jaw drop a bit. "Now then, have a nice day, miss Tulle." And with a chuckle, he left the speechless elf behind him.
What the Courier didn't notice was a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows of the Guild, tracing his every movement. The owner of which had a black cloak covering his entire body, going by the name of Fels. He was a trusted adviser of the Ouranos god and the sole secret member of the Guild with a Falna on his back.
"...Ouranos needs to know about this," He muttered to himself, before heading towards the secret part of the Guild, hidden beneath it, where his god resided.
"So, Fels, what can you tell me about this Courier Six?" Ouranos asked, reading through a sheet of paper in his hands.
The god was the first god to ever descend into the lower world. He possessed white hair, blue eyes, with a matching white robe covered by a black hooded cloak and a pair of sandals on his feet. He was sitting in a Room of Prayer, atop a massive throne, his prayers keeping the Dungeon complacent, preventing monsters from rushing into the world.
"Not much I am afraid, my lord. He came to Orario around a month ago, bypassing the security booth and disappearing for the most part. While there were sightings of him back then, he only recently became active and began exploring the Dungeon. One of the most prominent aspects of his are strength and speed of first-class level adventurer, but without a Falna," Fels explained.
The god raised his eyebrow, his fully at the male in front of him. "Are you certain about that? No Falna?"
"I am certain, miss Eina Tulle filled a report describing it in avid detail, which would mean, there is a person that can defeat a barbarian, a level four monster on his own without the help of Falna," Fels replied.
"... If the news about it were to spread, it could cause a lot of trouble for us and the rest of the Orario. Do we know about his allegiance or any ties he has got?" The god asked.
"He seems neutral so far. In fact, miss Tulle told us that he does not wish to join a Familia of his own and not even goddess Freya was able to charm him," He replied.
"...That's helpful. If possible, we should try to recruit him and find out the reason behind his strength," Ouranos said as he pondered upon the solution to the problem.
"Is it possible that the man acquired one of the spirits' blessing?" Fels asked while the god shook his head.
"It may be so, but the chances are very slim. The spirits able to grant blessings like these have disappeared from the world over a thousand years ago. Today only some of them remain, vastly reduced in power. In any event, I want you to keep a watch on him and if possible try to sway him to our side," Ouranos said.
"Understood. However, what if it doesn't work? Should I ask for Ganesha's help to capture or eliminate the man?" Fels clarified.
"No, it would only make it harder for us in the long run. If possible, I wish for the relationship to remain cordial between him and the Guild. However, if it doesn't work, we should find out how powerful he is before making our move," Ouranos replied.
"Very well, I will get to it then," Fels said and began walking away, leaving the god by himself.
"... Someone without a Falna?" He pondered. There were cases of powerful individuals before they descended, but very few of them could match many of the monsters in the Dungeon. If one could surpass those limits without a Falna, the consequences would be massive for the entire world. It was best to take it slow.
Leaving the Guild behind and with his mood improved, the Courier entered the Dungeon and slowly made his downstairs, his goal for today being floor 18. However, as he descended further down, he noticed someone following him, the result of his perception and the radar implant. At first, it was innocent enough, but when he took detours and the presence followed right behind him, he became paranoid.
He had to find out who was tailing him and why, so with a swift movement, he entered one of the many passages on the floor 5, crouched and turned on his stealth field, making sure nobody could see him, while he was doing it. Not a few seconds later, he found the one following him, who immediately stopped upon not seeing him in the passage.
He didn't know why, but there was something odd about the individual and quick activation of thermal imaging made his jaw drop a bit. The man standing in front of him was a skeleton, a moving skeleton, similar to Trauma Override Harness he saw back in Big Mountain. However, this one was different and most likely existed because of magic.
Still, having someone tail him was not something he wanted or needed at this point. While a part of him wanted to murder the thing in front of him, just for safety's sake, he decided to play it safe and made his way back behind the skeleton, turned visible and tapped his shoulder. The skeleton jumped, drawing a short black dagger in a process, his hood hiding his features.
"It's not nice to tail someone you know," Courier said, as he drew his sword ready for a fight.
"...Perhaps, but it was also necessary," Fels replied.
"Oh really? Now tell me, because I am curious who are you and what do you want with me?" He asked his eyes on the thing in front of him.
"I believe we got off the wrong foot. I am Fels, the second in command to Ouranous and representative of the Guild," He introduced himself.
"Courier Six, but I am pretty sure, you already know that. You still haven't answered my second question," He replied.
"...I was sent to keep an eye on you and determine whether or not you are a threat to the Guild and the city itself," He explained. "I also would like to know how did you defeat the barbarian without a Falna."
"... That's quite a lot you want to know, more than I am willing to share," Courier replied the two staring at each other. "And what if I don't answer your questions or cooperate for that matter?"
"The Guild may be forced to take more drastic measures, including cooperation of other major Familias if necessary," Fels replied.
"Ho? I see that explains it," The Courier said as he pondered what to say to the man in front of him. "Fair enough, an unknown power appears in a city and you want to know how to react. However, I do not intend to become a threat to you or the city. I prefer to be more of a neutral party if possible."
"That's reassuring, but how can we trust you to keep your word?" Fels asked.
"You can't, but neither I can trust you for that matter. As it is, we are both at the impasse. I want nothing to do with you, your god or any other god for that matter. However, you want me to be on your side, is that correct?" He asked while the skeleton nodded. "Thought so. So, how do you suppose we solve it?"
"If possible, I would like to employ you as an independent agent. You will be able to trade with the Guild and your secret will be safe with us. However, you will have to do some tasks for us and you will remain under our jurisdiction," Fels replied.
"That's a pretty bad deal there, partner. I become the Guild's lapdog in exchange for you not ratting me out basically," He said, not liking this idea in the slightest. "I have got a better idea so to speak. You will keep your mouth shut and I will keep doing my thing, which is to say, exploring the Dungeon."
"That's unacceptable, I am afraid," Fels replied, his dagger raised just a bit higher. He didn't want to fight the man, but he couldn't simply let him go unchecked.
"What about the rest of the Familias? You can't control them, in fact, the Guild possess no actual members with Falna of their own last I checked," He countered.
"It's true... However, the Guild can refuse to deal with troublesome Familias, starving them out from resources and money," Fels replied.
"That's clever, devious but clever. However, I am not bound by the same rules as Familias. I can also simply sell the drops to third parties, meaning a black market will thrive. As it is, the worst you can inconvenience me a bit," He said.
"...," Fels narrowed his non-existent eyes as he tried to think of a solution. "Indeed, you can do that. However, you will be labelled a criminal and the Guild may even put a bounty on your head."
"You make it sound like it's something I haven't experienced before. Trust me, I have lived through multiple assassination attempts, I can handle myself just fine," He replied.
The two stood like this for a moment, before Fels finally lowered his weapon and sheathed it in his coat. "It seems like, you are not willing to compromise. Very well, the Guild won't do anything against you, at least for now. However, we will be watching your every move, I hope you realize that?"
"Fine by me, just don't go tailing me, okay? It's not going to work," He replied, sheathed his sword and began walking away, leaving the skeleton behind.
"...Ouranos won't be pleased by that," Fels muttered to himself, watching the man leave.
The Courier breathed a sigh of relief once he found himself far enough from the skeleton. This encounter just made things way worse for him. Not only Freya and Loki had their eyes on him, now even the Guild was watching him, meaning he had to be extra careful around the Dungeon and the city itself. To make things worse, anything suspicious could be linked directly to him, seeing how the Guild knew he possessed no Falna and yet managed to defeat a barbarian.
He had to solve it somehow, but how? This sucks. If I put on power armour or use laser or plasma, the Guild and other Familias will get involved. Not only he couldn't use his better stuff in this world, but he also had to worry about Guild watching his every move. He could, of course, say 'fuck it' and just use his best gear, bring a lot of attention and make his life way harder than it should be. Or, he could keep a low profile and start building the space shuttle sooner rather than later.
He honestly had no clue what to do. Back in the Mojave, things were much simpler. Sure, he had to do some tricky manoeuvring to stay in good graces of both NCR and the Caesar's Legion, but nobody batted an eye when he carried a full set of Elite Riot Gear with an anti-materiel rifle slung on his back. In a world of power armours, lasers, plasma and many others, the worst one would get is a jealous look now and then.
Here though? It's would have been like he kicked a hornet's nest. He could run, with the amount of money he had, he should be able to scrounge up enough of materials to construct the shuttle, or at least most of it. However, that would mean, the Dungeon would be left unexplored, he wouldn't be able to earn nearly as much outside as in the Orario. Overall, not a very good deal, at all.
The best-case scenario would involve him becoming a fugitive and using his stealth field on a regular basis. Still, the Guild wanted to avoid direct conflict with him, which he could use to his advantage. They probably would contact him again and try to persuade him again, maybe using a bit different method. What a bloody mess...He was starting to miss Mojave at this point.
"Wait a second!" He said to himself, an idea coming forth that could help him deal with this nonsense. "If I were to befriend let's say Freya and Loki Familias, it would help me tremendously. The Guild would think twice before messing with them. Sure, they can still starve them out of resources and money, but it would be much harder."
That was an idea, maybe not without faults, but an idea nevertheless. The Guild had a lot of influence over Orario, way much than one gave it credit for. But even the Guild would suffer if some of the more powerful Familias refused to simply accept what they told them. Not only would rare drops become even more scarce. The Familias could refuse to simply pay for the taxes, due to unfair treatment.
The Guild, despite all its power, wasn't almighty. It had a lot of soft power, but if it were to step out of line too much, the Familias could overthrow it and put themselves in its place. It would serve as a good deterrent at the bare minimum. Now, all he had to was find some kind of dirty laundry for the guild and they would be hard-pressed to pursue any kind of action against him. And he still had the Codac R9000 with him, so he could fabricate some proof of him not being related to any incidents that had laser and plasma written all over it.
With his confidence renewed, he set out once again towards the depths of the Dungeon, heading straight to the floor 18 and killing all the monsters that stood in his way. It didn't take long until he arrived at floor 17, which was devoid of monster kind. The main feature of the room was a massive glass-like wall. According to what he read, this is where Goliath resided, but since it was slain recently, the passage was clear.
One of the new features of the floors starting from the thirteenth till eighteen were vertical holes leading to deeper floors. However, he preferred not to use them on account of not being in a rush. That and not wanting to have others see him casually crashing into the floor, not worse for wear. Making his way down, he finally arrived at his destination, his eyes spread wide open.
It looked like a paradise, lush green trees and grass. Huge forests and lakes, the floor filled with crystals and nature. Even from the entrance, he could see the forests all bathed in a pale blue glow, the result of blue crystals located within them. The exceptionally high ceiling was filled with brilliant shining crystals of two colours. White crystals were located in the centre, resembling a sun, while the blue ones surrounding it resembled a clear sky. The time itself was different here than on the surface, with here looking like it was still early morning.
Then, far away from the entrance, he could the city of Rivira. It was located on an eastern side of the island facing the lake. It was located around two hundred meters above the lake, on a cliff. From what he remembered the prices there were absurd, to say the least. However, since it was one of the few safe spots in the Dungeon, where no monsters were born, it was adventurers who set the prices.
Then there was a massive tree in the middle the size of a skyscraper, dwarfing even the likes of Lucky 38. Courier Six was rarely impressed, by the Dungeon sure found a way to do it, with the city of Rivira being located at the base of the tree. He honestly had no clue where to start, but seeing the city was not that important anyway. What he wanted to see is the general area of the floor, maybe more.
With his mind made up, he set off towards the forest, feeling much more at ease than he expected. Although the fact that stone walls surrounded him was not something he liked that much. Being able to see the horizon was much better, Zion was proof of that. As he walked between the trees, his automapping feature recording all the details, he noticed fruits, unlike anything he had seen before.
There were things like Honey Cloud, Goudberry and such only growing at the floor 18. They were mostly sweet and provided a good amount of nutrients. The Courier, being the complete and utter hoarder he was, began picking them up one by one, leaving as little behind as he could, mostly the ones that were either too damaged or already rotting. Having this kind of unique items back in the Mojave would surely help the economy. Sweets were a powerful thing after all.
As he walked between the trees, he came across a sight that he hadn't expected. There was a makeshift graveyard standing in front of him. Man-made crosses, which seemed to be maintained regularly. He walked up to one of them and read one of the titles 'Alise Lovell'. He recognized the symbol, it belonged to Astrea Familia, a now-defunct explorer type Familia. He didn't know what exactly happened to it, only that the entire Familia was killed in a Dungeon.
Just as he considered what to do, he heard a voice coming from behind him. "...What are you doing here?"
He turned around and saw Ryuu, but she was wearing a different outfit than usual with her hair colour being akin to that of gold. It consisted of a green flower-shaped hood and a white sleeveless top underneath. She was also wearing a pair of long, brown gloves and boots with a white sash around her waist. There one could see a wooden sword and a pair of short swords.
"... I could ask you the same thing, miss Lion," He replied, the woman narrowing her eyes. She had a bunch of flowers in her hands of different shapes and sizes. "I am assuming they were members of your Familia, Astrea Familia, weren't they?" The elf nodded before she walked past him and placed the flowers on the grave. "I see... I know sympathy of a stranger may not count for much, but for what it's worth, I am sorry for your loss."
"Thank you for the kind words," She replied, although the smile was more forced than usual. "Another with knowledge of my past has emerged. It's only a matter of time before you find out…I would regret not telling you myself."
"Let me guess, you are a wanted adventurer aren't you?" He asked while the elf nodded.
"My name, the Gale, appears on the Guild's blacklist and my position as an adventurer has been revoked," She replied.
"I see... so, what happened?" He asked as he leaned against one the nearby trees, curious about the elf's past.
"One day, a Familia that had taken up arms against us set a trap in the Dungeon. I was the only one to escape alive…Unable to retrieve their bodies, I collected what articles I could and buried them here," She replied, her lower lip quivering.
"You wanted to avenge them, didn't you? And you followed through, am I correct?" He asked.
"...Yes, I single-handedly destroyed the entire Familia responsible for this," She said and gestured to the grave. "My actions had nothing to do with justice. Filled with a lust for revenge, I tracked down each member and erased them along with anyone connected to them…Even the slightest suspicion was enough."
"... It didn't make you feel better, did it? The dead are still dead and you may have possibly killed innocent people in your pursuit of it," He summed up, while the elf nodded once again. "What happened then?"
"I collapsed. With all targets eliminated, with no one left, alone in a back alley. Covered in blood and dirt on the side of the road…It was a fitting end for someone who had committed atrocities such as I," She said before she sighed and a small smile graced her lips. "If it wasn't for Syr... we wouldn't be talking right now," She said and explained how she came to work at the Hostess of Fertility.
"And that's why you dye your hair green, do you? To avoid being found out?" He asked. Since she'd always worn a hood and gone by the name Lyon during her time as an adventurer, the chances of her being discovered were very low as long as she changed the colour of her hair.
"Yes... Now, I wish to know what do you intend to do now with the knowledge you possess?" She asked while the man sighed.
"Nothing," He replied, the elf's eyes spread wide open. "I am not going to judge you or your actions. Lord knows I have done enough horrible things myself. Besides, what would I gain from ratting you out?"
"... A bounty on my head?" She tried, not expecting this kind of response.
"Not enough, out of curiosity, how much people want for your head anyway?" He asked.
"Eighty million Valis," She replied, the man whistling.
"Damn, that's way more than I got on my head. I only had like twenty thousand put as a price for my head," He admitted, while the elf focused her attention on the man.
"You have got a bounty on your head?" She inquired, curious about the reason behind it.
"Yep, well earned I think. I kind of broke into a bit of criminal's hideout and destroyed their plans in taking over the city among others," He admitted.
"... I am surprised, I didn't expect that," She said. "But... why have you done it?"
"... I am not sure myself, remnants of morality, a personal code of honour? I don't know anymore. However, when I found out what was happening I couldn't just sit idly. Would you like to listen to it, seeing how you told me your side of the story?" He asked while the elf nodded. "Alright then."
"It all started, when I went to a casino and was approached by one of the prostitutes going by the name of Joana. I was looking for work, just so you know," He started. "However, because I have got some medical expertise, I noticed that she was suffering from overdosing on a certain drug I was familiar with."
"... A drug? What was it?" She asked while the Courier shook his head.
"I can't remember anymore, it happened a few years back. Anyway, once I found out about it, she told me what was happening. She was being abused by one of the higher-ups in the casino. The love of her life run away after he tried to leave the casino with her. In the end, I decided to help her, not because I wanted something from her like sex or money, but because... I just couldn't stand idly, when I had a chance to do something," He admitted, before shaking his head. "Anyway, I found her love, who was hiding not too far away from the casino and convinced her to trust me. Then I led her and two others to safety."
"... It didn't go as planned, did it?" She asked.
"There was an ambush, they tried to murder her and everyone else involved in it. However, I was able to bluff my way through it, preventing the fight from happening in the first place," He said.
"...You did? How?" She asked. She didn't see that one coming.
"Simple, I told them they broke the arrangement I made. The love of Joana's life, who stole a lot of money from the casino was willing to trade it back for her life. In the end, they left not wanting to be on their bosses bad side after they thought they screwed up royally," He finished.
"I see... But what happened to the pair?" She asked.
"They rode into the sunset and left the city for good. I haven't seen them since then," He finished the story, a silence descending between them. "Then she told me about the plans of the bosses and I took care of them as well."
"... Did you kill anyone then?" She asked, curious about the fact.
"I did, but if let Clanden go, I wouldn't be able to look myself straight in the eye," He admitted.
"What did he do?" She asked.
"He was an explosive expert, who also dabbled in raping and killing women as a form of sexual arousal," He replied, the elf clenching her fists a bit before she calmed down a bit. "So, miss Lion, I believe it's safe to say that we are not so different from each other. We have both shed blood of others, more than once. Hell, I even travelled half the world to get the guy who almost killed me and buried me in a shallow grave."
"He did what?" She asked, her voice rising. "How... did you survive and why did he do that?"
"A doctor from the nearby town and the reason? He wanted to get a package I was carrying," He replied.
"... I see," She replied, the two lapsing in silence once again. "So, what now?"
"Depends, are you fine with me knowing your past and me being a murderer?" He asked.
"Only if you are fine with my past," She replied. The Courier chuckled and nodded.
"I can deal with that," He replied, walked up to a woman and extended his hand. "So, miss Lion, do we have an agreement?"
"Yes, we do," She replied and shook his hand, a small smile gracing her lips. "You know, you are the third person to ever touch my skin."
"Man, that's an accomplishment right here and now. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn you were hitting on me, miss Lion," He said, while the elf blushed a bit.
"... You enjoy teasing others, don't you?" She asked, slowly letting go of the hand, a lingering warm between her fingers.
"Yep, you should try it. Also, you didn't deny it, miss Lion," He teased the elf once again, the tips of her ears getting a darker shade of red.
"... Mister Six, are you doing it on purpose?" She asked.
"Perhaps," He replied, while the elf rolled her eyes, a bit of chuckle escaping her lips, a beautiful sound he might add. "Miss Lion, can you do me a favour?"
"Depends on the favour itself," She replied.
"If you ever need any help or just want someone to listen to you, I am available," He said.
"I will keep it in mind," She replied, the two standing next to each other, enjoying the silence.
Ryuu didn't know what to expect when she first met the Courier. She wasn't sure if he was kind or not. However, the more time she spent, the more she saw and heard, the more her opinion of him raised. He wasn't a hero, a perfect man who always did the right thing, but neither was she a perfect heroine. They both had their own share of flaws, but what he said, it only cemented her opinion. She enjoyed his company and with the latest exchange, she could feel herself growing closer to the man, a warmth spreading through her heart, with a small smile evident on her face.
After that, the two said their goodbyes and decided to head their own way. Ryuu couldn't be seen with him otherwise Gale's reputation would impact him, while the Courier still wanted to explore the rest of the floor. Although, he did promise to come back today and see her later at the pub.
The Courier walked between the trees exploring the floor at his own pace, being close to the walls of the floor. He had plenty of time left and there wasn't anything important he needed to just yet. However, what he didn't expect to happen was for the floor to give up under him and he found himself falling to a pit, which was easily ten meters deep.
"Oh crap!" He yelled, flailing his arms as he fell down into the hole.
Seconds later, he landed on his feet in some dark liquid a stench of unbearable proportions entering his nostrils. His feet began to sting as the corrosive substance ate away at his armour and skin, easily getting through the loose parts of it. Only thanks to his regeneration he could stand inside without panicking. Compared to the Cloud from the Sierra Madre it was much weaker, not even comparable.
As looked up, he could feel his eyes spread wide open. A massive maw, with two long green pale appendages and a single eye, focused its attention on him. Around him, he could see remains of the previous adventurers, bones, armours, weapons and such, walls being too slimy to climb. At that moment, it dawned on him. It's a giant pitcher plant!
He brought up his pipboy, caution be damned, the time stopping in its tracks. It worked similar to VATS, but unlike the latter didn't use his action points. The downside? He could only inject drugs and such, without being able to fight and he still had to bring his hand up to choose between items. Still, he knew what he had to do. While he could technically summon other weapons and armour on the run, it was something he was still working on. It was easier to get bearing of all the items he possessed too.
He went into armours tab and quickly equipped his trusty suit of Elite Riot Gear along with the appropriate helmet and added Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator on top of it. The latter was similar to a blue holographic halo floating above the head of the wearer, except its model was more reminiscent to that of a Rutherford model of the atom.
Switching to the weapons tab, he chose his weapons including a pistol known as A Light Shining in the Darkness, a flagpole known as Old Glory, Christine's COS Sniper Rifle, Riot Shotgun, Compliance Regulator, Industrial Hand and last but not least Thump-Thump before leaving the pipboy. The plant attacked him with its two limbs, which he avoided by jumping backwards while drawing his pistol in the process.
He entered VATS, choosing the limbs and the eye as his three targets before firing just like Joshua Graham taught him. All three shoots connected with their targets, the weapon making little to no sound thanks to the silencer, the limbs of the plant exploding. However, the plant was still alive for some reason and with a roar of its own, the walls began to vibrate. It's trying to bury me with it!
The Courier wasted no time, aiming the pistol and the plant and pulling the trigger three times in rapid succession, killing it an instant, it's body exploding into a bunch of plant matter. However, it was too late, the walls were already starting to crumble. He crouched and using his kinetic implants, he jumped out of the pit just in time, the hole crumbling right behind him.
"What the hell was that and why was it here?" He muttered to himself, as he looked around. It made no sense and just like the plant things, it was something new. He had never seen or heard about anything like this nor had the guild or any other adventurer for that matter.
As he examined his surrounding one side of the wall caught his attention. There was something different about it and he had a suspicion why. Noticing up traps was a skill he picked up early on and it saved him a bunch of times. He walked towards it and began examining the wall. There was a very faint air current between the cracks on the side.
With his mind made up, he materialized a brick of C-4 plastic explosive, before placing it at the base, walking away and pulling out a detonator. It was a simple thing with a trigger and an antenna to activate the explosive. He pulled the trigger and watched as the explosion destroyed the vast majority of the rock exposing a giant metal door behind it.
His eyes narrowed before he walked up to it and kicked it as hard as he could. The door didn't budge in the slightest, but it was to be expected. A quick look at it told him everything he needed to know. The door was made from some incredibly durable metal, harder than titanium, but nowhere near as strong as the saturnite.
He could work with that and materialized one of his most powerful weapons, Industrial Hand. It consisted of a mechanical glove with a circular saw blade mounted on the back, with the components now replaced with saturnite for the most part. Normally it was used in industrial work for cutting materials such as metal or plastics, but now it was an excellent weapon capable of ignoring both damage resistance and damage threshold.
With his mind made up, he began cutting a hole in the door, two meters wide and two meters tall, allowing for an easy passage. The sparks came off the door, but the saturnite was superior easily cutting through it, like a knife through hot butter. Not a minute later, he was done, so he put the weapon away and began pushing on the part of the door he cut out using his shoulder. It moved slowly, painfully, but with a grunt, he managed to push it all the way in, before it toppled on the ground, sending a small cloud of dust in the air. Then he put Industrial Hand away and brought his pistol up, ready for combat as he made his way in.
What he saw there made him stop in his tracks. There were cages, cages filled with monsters of different shapes and sizes, including War Shadows, Hard Armoured, Sword Stags, Harpies just to name a few, at least ten of them. However, unlike the monsters he encountered so far, they weren't striking at the bars trying to escape or murder him through the bars, no, they looked afraid.
As soon as they saw him, they retreated deeper into their cages, their attention focused on him. Then there was another door located in the back, while white flowers covered all the walls, their petals shining in the darkness. He walked up to the harpy, who looked like she had seen better days. Her brown feathers were all dirty and there was caked blood on her body. However, unlike the harpies he read about, she looked human, more than he expected. Her brown pupils were exactly like that and she looked far more beautiful than the harpies he read about.
She was naked for the most part, the feathers covering most of her body, with a bit of cloth covering her most intimate places, her brown eyes looking at him with fear. To make it worse, there were cuts and bruises all over her, not to mention her left leg looked broken, judging by the way it was bent.
He knelt in front of her and asked, "Can you speak?"
At first, she didn't react, before she gulped and replied, "Y-yes."
"Do you have a name?" He asked.
"F-Fear, who are you?" She asked.
"I am... Ulysses," He settled on. No need to tell his true name just yet. "Who did this to?"
"A-adventurers, they came, killed some of us and took the rest here," She explained.
"Do you know where are they? And what do you mean by us?" He inquired.
"They went through that door over there, us, we are called Xenos," She replied.
"Okay, that makes sense. First, let's get you out of here," He said and was ready to pick a lock on the cage, only to hear the door open.
He turned towards the door and saw a group of adventurers going through it, at least thirty of them, the door locking behind them. The harpy retreated even further into the cage, her complexion pale. They constituted of many different races, including Amazons, Pallums, Humans, etc. The ones that stood out the most among them were a male with black hair and red eyes and a female with pink hair and yellow eyes. Unknown to the Courier they were known as Dix Perdix and Valletta Grede, both level five adventurers.
The man was wearing a pair of goggles with translucent smoky quartz lenses and a slightly dirty battle cloth. He also carried on himself a large battle knife and a red spear. The female, on the other hand, was wearing a black top with black pants that had red lines in them, with both top and the bottom damaged to an extent, leaving her stomach exposed. She also possessed a brown belt around her right thigh, ending it all with a black coat with fur trimming.
"Look what do we have here, boys. It seems like a stupid pest decided to visit us," Dix said as he grinned at the Courier, who only prepared his gun as he stared at the group in front of him. "So tell me pest, what were you thinking when you got here?"
"Call it curiosity and leave it at that. Now, a question for you," He replied and gestured to the Xenos in cages. "Why are they in cages?"
"What does it matter? You are going to die here anyway," Valleta replied, while the Courier chuckled.
"True, but the least I can do is understand what's going on. After all, I managed to gain your attention, didn't I?" He asked he could some of the adventurers preparing spells, chanting under their mouth. He was ready to shoot at any moment, but he was playing for time and knowledge.
"Geh, sure, asshole. These things in cages? They are sapient monsters and back on the surface, there are plenty of buyers for this kind of exotic thing. How does their meat taste? How do they squeal when you poke them with a hot stick? It's all there for a price," Dix replied, the Xenos shivering at his words.
What the man didn't know was how much of a mistake that was. If there was one thing, he couldn't stand it was slavery and everything that followed it. He had seen with his very own eyes what slavery lead to, how Caesar's Legion operated. To say he hated slavery was putting it mildly. However, he wasn't stupid, he knew that attacking the Legion would only lead to him being targeted by the hit squads. It was one of the reasons, he stole a bunch of dog tags and gave them to the Legion, who in turn shared some of their loot with them.
"Oh, that's good business, I admit that," He said and nodded, keeping the appearance. "Still, they are sapient, does is not bother you to enslave others?"
"What are you some monster lover, dipshit?" Valletta asked.
"Don't tell me you feel anything towards them? They are monsters plain and simple, what does it matter if we use them for our own gain?" He asked.
"I don't, I couldn't care less what happens to them. They are not my friends, not my allies, not even my clients," He replied with a snort, while the Xenos look dejected, already expecting this kind of response, they were monsters after all. "Truth to be told, I was hoping, we could come to some kind of agreement instead of trying to murder each other, you catch my drift?"
"Ho... So, you are not as stupid as you seem," Dix replied. "Still, why should we trust you?"
"And why should I trust you, either? For all I know, you will stab me in the back as soon as I lower my weapon," He countered, while Dix released an amused chuckle.
"Fair enough, still, I don't think we need another member I am afraid," He said, everyone getting ready. "So, do me a favour and die."
The Courier didn't wait, he drew his pistol, aimed it at the weakest and the closest member before he pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through the air, easily clearing the distance between itself and its target. The adventurer in question had no time to react as the projectile lodged itself into his skull, blowing his head open and killing him on the spot. The group stopped in their movement, their attention on the barely smoking barrel of the gun.
"What the fuck was that?!" One of them yelled, the tension much higher than seconds ago.
"...I don't think you understand, how dead you are just yet," The Courier replied as he calmly reloaded the gun. "Fact is, you have just signed your own funeral."
"Kill him!" Valletta yelled while everyone else charged at him and the mages aimed their staves at him.
The Courier activated implant GRX, the time slowing down, making one second last three to him. Then, he entered VATS, chose four of the magic users and fired the same amount of shots in rapid succession, just like Joshua Graham taught him. All the shots hit their marks killing the adventurers instantly.
However, other adventurers didn't wait for him and rushed forward, their intent clear. Wasting no time, he fired five remaining bullets at the ones approaching him killing three of the group, before the ammo ran out and the rest of the group closed the distance.
With a scowl, he dematerialized the pistol, before he drew Old Glory, easily blocking an attack from above. He grunted at an Amazon before he delivered a two-handed slam right into her abdomen, her body exploding into a pile of blood, guts and gore. The rest of the group paled, but they stood their ground and continued their onslaught.
He jumped back as the adventurers tried to hit him at the same time, getting closer to the wall behind. There were too many of them at close range and even with Old Glory, he would get hit, something he was trying to avoid. So with his mind made up, he drew Riot Shotgun and fired, sending three adventurers backwards and making them fall to the floor, blood gushing out of their wounds. And stay back assholes!
Despite this, they were still coming towards him, including Dix, who rushed at him from the left, while Valleta rushed from the right, the rest of the group charging forward. He spared no 12 gauge ammo, blooding his attackers and killing them one by one, until only two-thirds of the group remained, sending all of his attackers backwards. Then he saw some more of them casting more magic while being guarded by the rest, so they wouldn't be picked off one by one. They really don't know, who they are up against, do they?
With a grin under his helmet, he drew Thump-Thump a unique grenade rifle, aimed it at the group and fired, killing six of them in one shoot, last four barely clinging to life as they were launched into the air by the shock wave. That was what broke the remnants of their confidence. Dix was afraid, more than ever in his entire life. He wanted to run away, but the Courier didn't let him and he charged forward, blocking the attack of the spear.
He grunted as he felt the pain reaching his mind, an attack able to overcome his defences. He wasn't invulnerable, even his armour had a limit of what it could absorb safely. After that, he would take vastly reduced damage, but still damage. With a scowl, he drew his pistol, aimed it at the man's head and pulled the trigger, blowing his head of.
The rest of the group seeing the sight in front of them turned around and ran through same the door, even the Valletta Grede ran away screaming, not able to believe her own eyes. He wouldn't let them escape and just as the door closed, he rammed full speed into it. It dented from the impact, followed by a lot of punches from his bare fists, but the door still held strong despite all the beating it had just withstood.
He wanted to pursue them, leave no survivors, make them pay. However... he couldn't, as much as he wanted to. Who knew how big the thing was, was sort of traps were there. For all he knew, it could be rigged to collapse to prevent anyone from reaching the heart of the structure. Getting in there like this wouldn't do anything good. He could, of course, release the Cloud inside of it, but it was way too risky. The Cloud could find its way to the surface, which was unacceptable.
He began breathing in then out before he finally got his emotions under control. With a sigh, he began looting the corpses of the adventurers. Once he did that, he took a picture of their bodies and heads using the camera, before hiding it in his duster. After that, he put a satchel charge at the entrance and while doing so, he noticed something weird. His health wasn't regenerating as fast it used to.
With his eyebrow raised, he brought up his pipboy and checked his status, a new condition visible on the display. 'Curse' that's all it said. However, the effects were absurd, to say the least. Reduces regeneration of a body and other healing items by fifty per cent...?! What the hell is this? It was insane. He had been burnt, stabbed, slashed, etc. However, none of those things ever prevented his body from healing, even when he was naked and burning.
The fact that weapons like this existed was unnerving, to say the least. He needed to do something about it, test it, see how bad it could get and find a way to counter it. With another groan, he walked up to the cages with Xenos.
They looked a bit scared but for the most part awed, their mouths spread wide open. It was good, better than being afraid of him anyway. So without further ado, he began unlocking the doors of the cages one by one, letting them go out on their own until he finally arrived at the cage with Fear. He unlocked the door, before stepping away from the cage.
"You can leave now," He said.
She nodded and began making her way out of the cage. She managed to stand on both of her legs before she stumbled and almost fell before he managed to catch her just before she hit the ground.
"T-thank you," She said before the Courier nodded and gently lowered her to the ground.
She sat on her rump before he materialized a doctor's bag and began carefully bandaging her leg, reinforcing it with a bit of wood to keep it stable. The Xenos were surprised by the items appearing out of nowhere, but they decided not to ask any questions for now. Once he did that, he got some clean cloth and began cleaning all the cuts and bruises, before he applied a bit of healing poultice to the wound.
She gritted her teeth, before she felt relief flow through her body, her leg feeling much better than it did a few moments ago. Satisfied, the Courier stood up and turned towards other Xenos.
"I can fix your wounds, but only if you let me," He said.
The Xenos looked between each other before they nodded in unison, the Courier nodding back. He turned around and watched as the harpy stood up on her own, her attention focused on the man in front of her.
Then she breathed in the air, gathered her courage and said, "I... Thank you for saving our lives."
"You're welcome," He replied with a shrug. "Anyway, you can't stay here, other adventurers may come to investigate. Do you have a place to stay?"
"Yes, we do... Can you help us get there?" She asked, a bit scared of the man in front of her.
"Sure, why not. Are you fine with that?" He asked.
"I think so. You're scary, very scary," She said, while the Courier sweatdropped, cursing himself internally. "However... you helped us out," She added, a bit of a smile on her face.
"Glad to hear it. Now, I can take care of the rest of the wounds you have, if you want it that is. After that, I will escort you to the safe place you know about, is that alright with you?" He asked while the Xenos nodded. "Good, now, let's get to it."
With that out of the way, the group took another few minutes to deal with all the injuries, before they set off towards their destination, the Courier walking right behind the harpy, who lead the way, the rest of the group, around ten Xenos following in their footsteps. Their destination, floor twenty.
