Recently I have learned that this rework does not contain 'Fuck it! We ball!' moments. Let's fix that, shall we?
Also, once again, shout out to Tony2000 for proof reading this chapter yet again.
Leaving the Wheat Manor behind, the Courier breathed in the fresh air of the city. He had been cooped out in that room for almost three weeks, as he focused himself on mastering the language of 'Common'. Sure, there was a bit of excitement at the Hostess of Fertility and the farms, but other than that, it was pure studying. He was now itching for some action or something to that effect and the best way to do that? Exploring! That or doing some quests, which he did not have at this point in time anyway. He also had that cooking competition to deal with, but that could wait, at least for now.
He had much more pressing issues, as he was right now basically broke, especially since he paid off Demeter in full, leaving him with tons of currency that he couldn't really use here. Okay, it was a bit of assumption on his part, he would admit. Gold and silver should always be valuable, even in a whole different world, but he would rather earn money by doing quests or killing bandits and selling their gear. Unfortunately, there were no bandits in the vicinity, which left only the Dungeon. So, with his mind made up, the Courier headed towards the Guild, glad that Demeter gave him a bit of an overview of the city.
As the Courier entered the building, he noticed it was fairly deserted, with only a handful of individuals roaming around the building. While some of them were adventures, as evidenced by the armour and weapons they were wearing, the Guild employees, on the other hand, wore a set of black vest and pants with white collared long sleeve shirt underneath and a grey bow tie, similar to the one worn by Sophie.
Compared to even some of the best outfits he had ever seen, the Guild uniform definitely beat Pre-War clothing, which to be fair was no longer being produced nor were the remaining ones in pristine condition, when it came to style, as it was simple, but elegant and it made it easy to recognize them from the adventurers. In the meantime, while he was taking note of everybody inside the building, a single woman waved at him, gesturing for him to come closer.
The first thing he noticed upon looking at the girl was a pair of pointy ears, similar to the elves he had seen thus far, maybe a bit shorter. Her green eyes were full of warmth and kindess, despite being hidden behind a pair of glasses, while a small smile further added to her charm.
"Over here!" She said out loud, making him walk up to her. "Hello, is there something I can help you with?"
"Hello there, I am looking for a bulletin board," He replied.
"Bulletin board? It's right over there," She pointed behind him. "Are you looking perhaps for a quest, Mister…?"
"Six, Courier Six, pleased to meet ya," Courier said, as he extended his hands towards the woman.
"Tule, Eina Tule, the pleasure is mine," She said with a smile, while returning the handshake. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you a new adventurer?"
"How can you tell?" He asked, while the girl smiled in response.
"Simple, I haven't seen anyone wearing an armour like that and if you were an adventurer, I would have heard of you or seen you enter the Guild at some point," She replied.
"Alright, fair enough, you got that right, Missy. What of it?" He asked.
"Well, if you are a new adventurer the Guild is supposed to provide a weapon and an armour to such individuals, but it appears, you already have got this one handled. On top of that, every adventurer is assigned a supervisor, which helps them on their journey," She explained.
"A supervisor? What would they do?" Courier asked.
"Well, for instance if I were your advisor, I could tell you all about monsters and their weaknesses, threats on each floor, what to look out for and other important bits of information," She explained.
"So, basically, you would act like a walking encyclopedia for such adventurer, correct?" He asked, while the girl nodded. "That's nice, but I think I can do just fine without one."
"… Excuse me?" She asked, not able to believe what she had just heard. "Did you not hear what I said? The Dungeon is dangerous, so it would in your best interest to learn more about it."
"Nah, no need. I will wing it anyway, always did, still alive despite everything," He dismissed the woman's worry, which probably was not the best idea, if her angry expression had anything to do with it.
"Have you even fought any surface monsters thus far? Or is that armour just for a show?" Eina deadpanned, while Courier frowned.
"Of course, I did. I am capable individual, thank you very much," He replied.
"Is that so? Then tell me, what are differences between surface monsters and those found in the Dungeon?" She asked.
"They seem a little bit tougher, but that's about it, your point?" He asked.
"In that case, let me make this clear. I don't care how many surface monsters you have slain thus far. The monsters found in the Dungeon are far more powerful and dangerous, than the ones on the surfact. You WILL die, if you go unprepared," She explained.
"I already did that, though," He replied, making the girl pause, as she blinked her eyes in confusion.
"What do you mean, you already did that? Going unprepared?" She asked.
"Dying actually, well, almost. Getting shot in the head and then buried in a shallow grave has to count for something, yeah?" He replied, while Eina's eyes spread wide open.
"You… died?" She asked, not able to believe her own ears.
"ALMOST died. I might have suffered some amnesia and brain damage, but what can you do, eh? Besides, I still haven't died, despite the world trying to kill me at every opportunity," He replied, while Eina's mouth opened and closed in response.
She then took a deep breath, calmed down and began glaring at him. "Perhaps you haven't heard me the first time, so let me repeat myself. What you are doing now is being completely irresponsible!"
"You don't say, Miss obnoxious!" He snapped back at her, the duo glaring at one another.
"Mister… Six?" Sophie asked, the duo turning towards her.
"Sophie? Do you know that blockhead in front of me?" Eina asked, while the other elf nodded.
"Well yes, he came with Demeter a few weeks ago," She replied.
"Demeter you say? So do you have Falna at the very least?" Eina asked, while Six clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I wouldn't be here otherwise," He replied, while Eina's eyes narrowed.
"Well, he didn't have one last I checked, but that could have changed," Sophie added.
"Prove it," She ordered him, while Six could only sigh in annoyance.
"Is this really necessary?" He replied.
"Yes, it is, just because you might have some experience, it does not mean I am going to let you go unprepared to the Dungeon," She said. "Even 'Big Shots' like yourself tend to overestimate themselves and end up being killed, because they fought a few surface monsters."
"Miss Eina, don't you think you are being unreasonable? I have got enough of common sense to know that getting inside the Dungeon without Falna would be extremely dangerous, suicidal even as you put it. However, Miss Sophie can confirm that I do have got a fair amount of combat experience, based on what she had seen before," He said, while Eina frowned, before turning towards other elf.
"Is that true?" Eina asked, while Sophie nodded.
"Courier Six… has been through a lot," She confirmed and paused for a moment. "Also, I think he can handle the first floors of the Dungeon, based on what we know thus far and his current equipment."
Eina looked at her coworker, before sighing, as she turned towards him with a frown. She seemed to be thinking for a moment, before finally saying, "Fine, go ahead, head into the Dungeon and see for yourself. But, don't be surprised if you end up getting killed in the process."
"Would be a nice change of pace though," He replied, making the elf glare at him with such intensity, it felt like he was about to burst into flames.
"I give up," She finally said, as she slumped. "Sophie, he is all yours."
"Eh?" The other woman asked, while Eina used that moment to escape the situation. "Eh…?"
"Looks like we are stuck with each other, Miss Sophie," He replied.
"That's… I guess," She said, not sure what to do at this point. "Well, would you like to learn about the Dungeon or the bulletin board?"
"Just tell me what are the rules for both of them and I will be on my way," He replied.
"Okay, so if you want to pick up quests, all you need to do is pick up a quest from the board and tell one of the Guild members about it. As for the Dungeon, you are free to go and leave as you wish. However, you can't take monsters drops outside the city and if you sell at the Guild, there is small fee you need pay each time you do so," She explained.
"Sounds simple enough. So, I don't even have to register as an adventurer?" He asked.
"Not quite. You are free to explore the Dungeon on your own, but sooner rather than later you will come across monsters that may prove to be too much for you. Whenever that happens, the adventurers who previously were on the fence of joining a Familia end up doing so in the end for the most part. It's simply too dangerous to go below certain floor without high enough level," She explained. "And once you join a Familia, it's each Familia's responsibility to report their levels and numbers to the Guild, as well as pay the appropriate taxes."
"Sounds simple enough. All right, that should do it, thank you for your help, Miss Sophie," He said.
"You're welcome, but please don't let Eina get to you. She is worried about all adventurers under her jurisdiction, especially since a certain boy with a white hair and red eyes almost gave her a heart attack," She replied.
"Oh, right, that kid. I remember him. Seemed like a handful to me," He said, while the girl smiled weakly.
"He is a bit of that. A beginner adventurer, with no formal training, who started about two weeks ago. He already almost got himself killed when a minotaur came from the lower floors," She explained.
"Sheesh, at this rate, the kid may kick the bucket before me," Courier replied.
"Don't let Eina hear you say that," She said.
"Cross my eye, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," He promised, making the elf blink. "It's a promise from a book I read some time ago."
"I see, sounds innocent," She replied, while the Courier shrugged.
"Not sure about that, never stuck a cupcake in my eye, but it does sound painful," He replied, while the elf giggled and a certain pink pony from another universe sneezed in response.
"I suppose it does. Now, would you like me to help you with choosing a quest?" She asked, while the Courier waved his hand.
"Thanks, but no thanks, I can handle something like this myself, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now them, give me a moment, Miss Sophie," He said, as he turned around and walked up to the bulletin board. "Now, let's see what quests are there for me to choose from?"
The bulletin board had a number of requests, some more dangerous than others. They varied from quests that literally offered Falna and some food in exchange for joining their Familia, through looking for monsters parts, up to going to level fifty to gather something called Kadmus' Water. Most of them even had level requirements, with the last one recommended level five and above.
He was tempted to simply pick the most dangerous one and go from there, but he had a feeling, if he presented such a quest to Sophie, she would not be thrilled to say the least. No, he needed something simpler, something easier for the time being and as luck would have it, he came across something.
There was a request for a bunch of Papilos wings, which seemed to be some kind of monsters. The floor was also fairly low of only seven and there was a bonus, it was posted by Miach Familia, who he wanted to visit anyway. Overall, a good starting quest for the likes of the legendary Courier Six, if he was being honest.
"That should do it," He decided took the piece of paper and walked up to Sophie. "I will take care of this one."
"Let me see, Blue Papilos Wings…? You can't take that one!" She protested.
"Why not? It's only floor seven," He pointed out, while Sophie looked at him as if he was clinically insane. "What?"
"You… have you ever been to floor seven before?" She asked, while the Courier shook his head.
"Nope!" He admitted without a shame, while the elf groaned. "Oh please, I did fight a few monsters already, I can take care of myself."
"… Now I see, why Eina gave up upon you," Sophie admitted, before she sighed. "Mister Six, you may have been through a lot, but you can't expect to go to floor seven, kill a bunch of monsters and return safely like that. Not without enough excelia at the very least. In order to safely explore floors between one and four, you should have at least status of I to H of your basic abilities to be able to survive on your own."
"Miss Sophie, I assure you, I am far more capable than you give me credit for. Worst case scenario? I die and the world moves on," He said, while the woman just stared at him. "Plus, you can always says you tried to stop me, but me being the blockhead that I am, decided to ignore you. So your conscience will be safe."
"You… You are not going to do it regardless of what I say, aren't you?" She figured it out.
"Good catch, I was going to do that anyway, whether you or anyone else like it or not," He admitted.
"Haaa… Fine, I give up myself. Though, do you care for an advice at the very least?" She asked.
"Sure, can't go wrong with a good old advice," He replied.
"Okay, Blue Papilos can be found mostly in the pantries on floor seven. They have got healing power, which they use on other monsters and they look like giant butterflies, except they don't fly," She said.
"That's a lot for an advice, thank you kindly, Miss Sophie," He said with a tip of his helmet.
"You are welcome, just please don't die, okay? Not for me, but for Eina's sake, she is a good person," Sophie said.
"I can do that much. Oh, that reminds me, I already have got some monster parts I picked up on the road," He said.
"You do? Did you come across a group of monsters by any chance?" She asked.
"Yep, green ugly bastards, but easy to kill. Might helping me with that, Miss Sophie?" He asked.
"Sure, please follow me to the exchange box," She said, as she led him to a simple counter, with a word 'exchange' written above it. "Here you can exchange all your spoils from the Dungeon."
"Right on, here are the magic stones I picked up," He said, reached into his backpack, before depositing the magic stones he gathered at the first floor and when he first arrived. "So, how much are they worth?"
"Let's see," She said, as she took the magic stones. "That will be two thousand Valis total."
With that she put a few metal coins, some of which shone like gold, but he was pretty sure was just a composite metal to look like it. He snipped those out, taking a better look at them, before stuffing them in his backpack. Let's see, if he remembered correctly, a plate of pasta cost about three hundred Valis for a single meal. Which meant, he could only afford to eat at the Hostess of Fertility six times at most. That… didn't seem like a lot. What about the Bloodssaarus one?
"Huh, so little, how about this one?" Courier asked, as he presented the Sophie with the magic stone he gathered from the Bloodssaarus.
"Is that…? Where did you find it?" Sophie asked, her eyes spread wide open.
"It was a gift from a Familia after I helped them out," He lied without skipping a beat. "So, how much is it worth, Miss Sophie?"
"This one, it seems like it was dropped from a level four monster. It's worth about two hundred thousand Valis," She replied, while the Courier's jaw hung wide open.
Okay, he did not expect that. The difference between the surface and the monsters from the depths of the Dungeon was astronomical. He wasn't sure how much money was it, but it became immediately obvious that going into the depths of the Dungeon and fighting powerful monsters was far more lucrative than he expected. He really should have picked that quest for Kadmus water, but oh well. He had time, plenty of it too.
"Well, I will be, that's quite a gift, if I do say so myself," He said, while Sophie exchanged the magic stone, presenting him with more coins and a few paper bills.
"You must have done something extraordinary to earn such a reward," She said with a smile.
"Not trying to brag, but I did risk my life in the process, so it evens out," He replied with a chuckle. "Now then, I think that's about everything. Thank you for everything and have a nice day, Miss Sophie."
"You too, Mister Six," She replied, as she watched the man leave, a worried expression clearly visible on her face. "Please don't let us down, Mister Six."
"Well, that went well, I think," The Courier muttered to himself.
He went to the Guild, got himself a quest, got yelled by a pretty elf lady and made one hell of an impression. Surely, they would remember him next time, although, maybe he should come back covered in blood? That would show them! Then again, the kid from before did that already and it didn't turn out too well for him. Oh well, not his problem, it was time to hit the Dungeon.
He already knew that the monsters he was looking for were located at level seven, so instead of trying to search every nook and cranny of the Dungeon, he headed straight down to the floor seven. Well, at least that was the plan, but the monsters made sure to be an obstacle to him. As the last time, he came across the familiar faces of kobolds and goblins, which he promptly dispatched and looted their corpses.
After that, he decided to follow what appeared to be the 'main path' of the Dungeon, as it was wider than side corridors and seemed well travelled. In fact, he could see a number of adventurers heading in the same direction, which meant his assumption seemed to be correct. And as bonus, his Pip-boy was already busy making an accurate map of the area he could use later. He also came across new type of monster trying to murder him!
It was… a lizard, a giant oversized lizard that climbed walls, before jumping on top of him and biting his helmet. He could feel drool seeping through the helmet, as the lizard did it's best to crush it. Sadly, it was way too weak. It was comparable to a basic gecko, which meant it was pretty much harmless and almost reminded him of home. Keyword, almost. Maybe because of it, he simply grabbed it and crushed it's neck, thus ending it's suffering quickly.
That's how the journey went, until he reached what appeared to be floor five. The first thing he noticed was a change in scenery. The walls, which used to be light blue, were now of a light green colour. The main road became smaller and the number of monsters increased. That was to be expected, what he didn't expect was not one, but two brand new monsters.
The first one was basically a giant mutated frog with one large eye that hit him with a tongue. It wasn't even corrosive or poisonous and felt like getting smacked by a cleaver, maybe. That or a machete, with a blade made from lawnmower. Either way, not much of a threat, especially for his current suit of armour. This thing proved to be far more resilient than he expected, which was a good thing. After all, he still had plenty of weapons and armour left for tougher foes.
Anyway, back to the second monster that he came across. To put simply it was… a shadow. No, not the figurative one, the literal one. It looked like something that came out from fantasy novel, with pitch black body, three dark claws and one glowing red eye. It also had a figure similar to a human, except for legs, which looked like sticks.
"Living shadows… and here I thought I have seen everything," Courier mused, while being surrounded by an army of them.
The monsters in the meantime, took that as their cue to brutally murder him, as the shadows rushed him, their razor sharp claws heading for his body. So, he returned the favour by drawing his own sword and slashing vertically. The first victim of his attack was a shadow, which upon being split in half, fell to the floor unmoving. He expected to see guts and blood flying out, instead, it was like tearing apart a piece of black cardboard, the two halves completely dark on the inside with no blood being spilled by the monster.
Razor sharp claws ran over his back, making him scowl, as he spun around and bisected three more monsters in a single strike. Some of the frogs joined as well, but just as the shadows, they could not hope to make a dent in his armour. The rest of the encounter, consisted of him brutally murdering all the monsters, until he was surrounded by blood and corpses. Satisfied, the Courier put away his sword and knelt to one of the dead shadows, as he examined the corpse in more detail.
"Let's see, the specimen of a species known as 'Living Shadow' appears to be around six feet tall with lightweight, flexible body. Said body appears to defy any notion of the creature being alive in the first place. There are no signs of blood, internal organs or even bones for that matter. The body appears to be quite tough, akin to a suit of a leather armour, which contradicts it's durability, as it lacks any form of self defence, be it scales or tough hide. Despite said aspects, the creature possesses a pair of razor sharp claws, each of which is surprisingly sharp, comparable to a low quality machete used by the Caesar's Legion. Despite being almost tailor-made for an ambush, the red glowing eye of the creature as well as speed and agility, make it more of a skirmisher than an assassin," He concluded, before tearing out the magic stone from the body of the monster, making it turn into ash.
The more monsters he discovered, the more confused he was by the sheer difference between each of them. The fact that they didn't attack one each other despite being of different species, further added to his confusion. This wasn't a behaviour of an animal, of most kind really, the monsters seemed more like machines, whose sole objective was to kill and kill and kill again. Truly, a monster after his own heart, if his kill count had anything to say about it.
Leaving that aside, it was time to resume his journey, as he still needed to reach that pantry on the floor number seven. He was pretty sure pantry was the same type of room, where he saw that chicken, basically a feeding area. In fact, after checking the map of the first floor, he noticed that the said pantry was located at the edge of the floor. Taking that into account, he reached floor seven and headed straight for the pantry.
There, he came across what could only be described as a small army of monsters, including newcomers, an army of giant ants, just like in New Vegas. The two species were remarkably similar, when it came to their general shape and size. Joining them was the target of his expedition, giant blue butterflies the size of a dog.
Upon seeing him, the monsters went into frenzy, rushing him like a bunch of starved Deathclaws, ready to tear limb from limb. Perfect, that's what he needed, as he kicked the nearest ant away, it's carapace cracking under the pressure, sending it flying. Almost immediately, one of the butterflies began flapping it's wings, making blue powder envelop the ant, it's wounds healing before his very eyes, just as Sophie said.
Good thing he was quite an expert, when it came to killing hundreds of enemies, as he jumped into the fray. The battle, if it could be considered one, didn't last long, as not a single monster was able to put as much as a dent on his armour, the whole encounter lasting a minute or two at most. Though, he had to admit, an army of ants was far larger than he expected.
"Sophie wasn't lying, when she said those things look like butterflies. Also, healing powers on others? Damn, I wish I had something like this. I wonder if Think Tank could make something similar if I brought them some samples… Oh wait, Ulyssess had a healing eyebot didn't he?" He pondered, as he carved the carcasses of the monsters.
Ulyssess… his arch-enemy or at the very least, a self-proclaimed one. To say the man was complicated would be an understatement. A former member of the Legion, who had his home destroyed by him, due to pure accident. He was also a driving force between some of the miseries he had to deal with like the White Legs or Elijah or the Think Tank. Then again, he would ramble on and on about bull and bear, which reminded him of a philosophical debate, with only him being the one to do the talking and listening.
It took some time, but after fighting the monsters and carving out their magic stones as well as gathering blood sausage and thin red paste, he came to a few conclusions. The materials the monsters dropped were durable, but they couldn't compare to what pre-war science and the Think Tank were capable of, like the power armour. On top of that, they could only be gathered here, which severely limited their quantity.
His initial plan was to hoard all that he found, but after fighting the Bloodssaurus, he really didn't need any of those nails and fangs. They were better off being sold rather than used, not that he could use them anyway, he was no blacksmith. Sure, he knew how to fix stuff and make some make-shift weapons, but making a sword from the ground was not something he could do. He was a scavenger, a prospector, not a blacksmith, even if he could craft some things on the road.
Besides, his own stuff was way better than any of the things he had seen thus far. There was no need for him to rely on the local traders to acquire good gear, as he had plenty of it. So, he was going to simply sell all the stuff he gathered and use it to buy things he could actually use, like food, water, maybe some spare parts, etc.
"I am back!" Courier exclaimed, as everyone turned towards him, before bee-lining it to Sophie.
"Mister Six, you are back already?" She asked, letting out sigh of relief. "How did it go?"
"Peachy. I got scratched, mauled, jumped on and even ambushed, but I am still alive!" He joked, while the elf turned pale. "Jokes aside, I am still alive and kicking. Anyway, I would like to exchange some more loot."
"R-right, please follow me," She said and the duo headed back towards the exchange box. "Alright, so, what floor did you reach? I am assuming that it proved too much to handle at one point. Perhaps three?"
"Nah, easy peasy, outside of being stuck fighting living shadows and an army of ants, it was smooth sailing," He admitted with a shrug.
"You did what now?!" She yelled out loud, standing up in the process and making everyone turn towards them. The elf immediately blushed, as she sat back on the chair, still staring at him in shock.
"What's going on around here, why are you yelling, Sophie?" Eina asked, as she walked up to them, only to sigh upon seeing him. "Oh, it's you again, blockhead. Sophie, what was it about it killing War Shadows and Killer Ants."
"So, that's what they are called, huh," Courier said, approving of their names. "Nothing happened, just killed a bunch of them, what of it?"
"You… killed them? A group of them?" Eina asked, not able to believe her very own ears. "I don't believe it, they are too dangerous for most level one adventurers and are known as 'Newbie Killers' and you claim to have killed a bunch of them?"
"Sure did, I even got some loot out of it," He replied and snipped out all the magic stones, War Shadow's Finger Blade and few other bits and pieces he looted in the Dungeon. "There you go, that proof enough for you?"
"No way…," Eina said, as she scooped out the finger blade and examined it closely. "It's genuine too. I don't believe it, you just bought it from somebody else to brag about it, didn't you?"
"That's too much effort for something like this," He replied. "Besides, I am one tough cookie!"
"Alright then, how many times have you been in the Dungeon thus far?" Eina asked, her arms crossed, as she put away the finger blade. Around them, murmurs could be heard, as he became centre of attention, not that the Courier cared, he was used to it.
"Today would be my second time, what of it?" He replied, the two looking at him like he grew a second head. "What?"
"Let me get this straight. You went to the Dungeon for the second time in your entire life, correct?" Eina asked.
"Eyup," Courier confirmed.
"You then proceeded to head to seventh floor of the Dungeon, where you killed a bunch of War Shadows and Killer Ants by yourself, despite being in the city for a few weeks at most, correct?" She asked further.
"That's exactly what I said, yes," He replied with a roll of his eyes.
Seriously, he fought deadlier things in the Mojave, what's the big idea? Then again, Demeter also thought he was going to die against the Bloodssaurus and yet he was still alive and kicking. These people really had no clue just how dangerous the Mojave was. Sure, he was in a different world, but really? These things were weak as far as he was concerned.
"Okay, anything else that I should know about? Like taking a quest to gather some rare ingredients, which should have gotten you killed?" She asked, her voice filled to the brim with sarcasm.
"Actually, yes, I went to the pantry, killed a bunch of 'Blue Papilos' and got their wings too," He admitted with a shrug. There was a pause, as the Guild got silent, everyone looking at them.
"Are you… clinically insane?!" Eina yelled at him so hard, his eardrums could feel it. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"
"Gee, relax lady, it's my life on the line, not yours, not need to get yourself so worked up," He said.
"You… blockhead! What you have just done was borderline suicidal, even for an experienced adventurer!" She exclaimed out loud.
"So, I could have died, big deal, what's your problem anyway?" He asked, while Eina just couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"My problem is that you are trying to get yourself killed for some reason! Do you want to die that badly?" She asked.
"Yes, I do, I do want to die from hearing you yell at me all that time, you crazy woman!" He snapped back at her, the duo glaring at one another.
"Um…," Sophie began, the duo turning towards them. "Perhaps you could keep it quiet? Everyone is looking…"
That seemed to have worked, as Eina looked around, blushed, cleared her throat and said, "You are right, Sophie. I am sorry."
"Great, since you stopped yelling, can I get my money now?" He asked, while Eina glared at him.
"Here," Sophie said, as she took all the stuff he put away, before putting in front of him more of the local currency. "The total comes to one hundred thousand Valis."
"Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Sophie," He said, scooped out the money, before turning towards Eina. "As for you, Miss Tule. I recommend taking some pills for that temper of your, you are acting very unprofessional for a member of the Guild."
The glare that she sent him was nothing short of murderous. She hissed at him, "I will keep it in mind."
"Great. Now then, it's my cue to leave, have a nice day, Miss Sophie, Tule," Courier said, tipped his helmet at them, before heading towards the exit.
"… Are you okay, Eina?" Sophie asked, while her coworker sighed, before sitting next to her.
"I don't think so, you?" She asked.
"I… am not sure. I can not believe what he just said, but the proof is here," She said as she pointed to the magic stones and the war shadow blade left by the Courier.
"Are you sure he had no Falna to speak of?" Eina asked, while Sophie nodded.
"Positive. I checked it myself and couldn't see even a trace of it," She replied.
"Then how did he survive reaching floor seven on the second try. I don't care how experienced he is, that's not something most people can do," Eina said.
"Maybe he trained real hard with Demeter over the last three weeks?" Sophie suggested.
"Even then, to be able to become so strong so fast is simply absurd. It took a year for Ais Wallentstein to reach level two and she basically threw herself into the Dungeon all the time," Eina pointed out. "If we apply the same basis for him and compare them, he should have gained enough excelia to reach halfway to level two in less than a month. And that's only assuming he put himself through the same type of strain as she did. That would make him about twelve times faster than the record holder give or take."
"That's… true. Maybe he is just that strong on his own?" Sophie guessed.
"I doubt it, that would make him similar to the heroes of old. Though, I suppose, it is a possibility," Eina admitted.
"Well, he could have made a contact with a spirit," Sophie said.
"I doubt it, what else? He can get stronger like werewolves do under the moonlight?" Eina snorted at the idea.
"Maybe, maybe he has got a unique skill?" Sophie said, while Eina paused.
"That's… the only explanation I can think of. Even a weretiger would have trouble with War Shadows and Killer Ants, though we would need to verify his status once again for that," Eina said.
"Can we even do that? Checking for Falna and basic abilities is one thing, but not skills or development abilities," Sophie pointed out.
"That's true… Haa… I suppose all we can do is let Royman know," Eina said.
"The Guild's Pig will probably get even more grumpy," Sophie joked.
"Heh, he might. Oh well, let's get back to work, no need to work ourselves up over one stupid blockhead," Eina said.
"Agreed," Sophie said, while the duo went back to their respective counters.
Author: "So, how do you like it thus far?"
Suddenly, a random pink pony from another universe appears: "I think it was super-duper fun!"
Author: "Pinkie?! What the hell are you doing here? It's not an MLP crossover!"
Pinkie: "You Pinkie Promised, how couldn't I come? But… since I know, it would be very weird to appear in the story, I decided to jump straight to the author notes!"
Author: "Damn it, this is what I get for referencing you. So, is there anything else you want to say, perhaps to the audience?"
Pinkie: "Oh, just one more thing to you actually. When are you going to write that Fallout and MLP crossover you promised… almost a decade ago?"
Author: "AFAJSG, WHAT? Who told you about it?"
Pinkie: "You did! When you wrote those firsts drafts with me, remember?"
Author: "Damn… I should have seen it one coming. It's coming, one day, I hope."
Pinkie: "Okay, dookie lookie. That's all from me. Have fun writing the story and don't torture Six too much, okay?"
Author: "But, that's part of the fun! He is that overpowered, I must screw him over more often than not."
Pinkie: "Yes, but don't be mean about it. And no 'Final Explosion' of his. That's just sad!"
Author: "Damn it, Pinkie. I can't even have him explode to kill a dragon because it would make you sad?"
Pinkie Pie: "Yep!"
Author: "Shit… guess, I will have to figure out something else. Until then, I hope you are enjoying it, thus far. Also, I am still busy due to work."