Dungeon Salvation

The pair talked jovially as they took turns using the practice swords to beat a path towards the heart of the jungle. Elias was surprised to realize that he actually had an easier time just slipping through the small gaps in the foliage instead. Of course, Marco wouldn’t have had such an easy time, since he lacked the practice in doing so. Plus, opening a path this way would probably even count as practice for a swordsman. The other man was certainly better at it than him.

Despite the experience from killing monsters while in a party was shared equally by its members, Elias’ gains were significantly higher than when he was by himself. The monsters were simply much higher leveled and densely packed here than in the outskirts of the jungle. The increased exp gathering rate even required considerably less effort on his part.

He was much stronger now than the last time he’d been in the core area of the zone. Compounded by the fact that he was accompanied, it was no longer necessary to be as careful as he had been when engaging the creatures. The pair made quick work of any monsters they encountered with little to no effort. They were barely even slowed down.

Now that all of his physical attributes were at level 8, Elias decided that it was finally time to increase an attribute he had been neglecting so far, Charisma. He had avoided leveling it until now but it was by far his lowest attribute, at level 3.

Charisma is the attribute that governs a person’s ability to obtain insight into themselves, the first step in the journey of self discovery. Increasing the attribute widens a person’s perspective on their own experiences, helping them gain a better understanding of their own identity, values, desires, and motivations. Through this insight, they can more easily attain personal growth.

In truth, Elias was afraid of what he might discover, of what his low Charisma said about him and his relationships. He knew he had a short temper, made poor decisions often, and had few relationships outside his immediate family. Loneliness had long since been his only friend, but with time and pain had come acceptance.

People are incredibly good at avoiding stress inducing issues by virtue of not thinking about it. Elias knew that increasing his Charisma would force him to reconsider many aspects of his life. It would not be a painless process. However, trekking through the dungeon with a friend, a real friend, he realized that acceptance was no longer enough. He wanted to grow. He wanted friends. He wanted to have better relationships. Hells, he wanted a girlfriend too!

Silently clenching his fists, Elias spent the 7.000 exp necessary to level his Charisma. He made a silent promise to keep leveling it until it was no longer his weakest attribute.

Congratulations! Your Charisma has risen to level 4.

Dashing his expectations, there were no immediate effects from the one point increase. Then again, there were no real metrics to measure this kind of thing.

“Man, it’s so much better to do this with some company. Going around killing these monsters got boring really fast after a couple of days. It's all just so monotonous, you know?” Said Marco right after the Sharpclaw Anteater finally died.

The beast was a perfect example of why it was better to hunt monsters in a party. It had sharp claws, as its names suggested, and could use its regenerating tongue to distract its opponents, but it was really slow at turning. They just took turns bashing it in the back of the head with the training swords. Elias even took their trip as an opportunity to take a break from his pugilist lifestyle, getting a wooden sword of his own.

“Yeah, I know. My parents say the dungeon gets more interesting the deeper you go, with the newbie zone being the only really monotonous part… I think they used the word ‘predictable’, though.” He grabbed the energy crystal from the monster they had just killed and added it to his card. He had exactly 12.394 energy in his card before they started killing monsters. They would later use everything they earned together to buy some food, and some beers. “I can’t wait to go to some of the places I’ve heard about. I’m half convinced that some of them were actually made up. I mean, floating volcanoes that drip lava and spew steel dust? Come on!”

The pair were headed towards the very center of the core area, where one of the first true wonders of the dungeon could be found. Although the area was much smaller than the outskirts, it still took a while to reach their destination. Along the way, the monsters became more tightly packed and Elias even gathered enough exp to raise his Charisma by another level.

Congratulations! Your Charisma has risen to level 5.

The epicenter of the zone was demarcated by an enormous bearded fig tree that was rooted on a small island. It was similar to the tree in the Temple outside the dungeon, albeit much smaller than that one. It could only be spotted from up close due to the impenetrable canopy of the jungle. Water bubbled from a multitude of natural springs, flowing into a crystal clear pool surrounding the small island the tree stood upon. The many vines hanging from the tree brushed against the water.

A thick mist rose from the water on one side of the pool, seeming to settle in a thin layer over the other side. Elias knew from hearsay that the water was hot on the right hand side of the pool and cold on the other side. Where they met, it flowed out through a natural drain, forming a small river that flowed into the rest of the jungle.

Soaking in the water of the pool would bring about many benefits to the adventurers that managed to reach this place. The hot water could heal wounds and relax the muscles, while the cold water energized and strengthened the body. The real magic resided in where the two sides met and the two types of water refused to mix, like oil and vinegar.

The water there both heated and cooled, relaxed and energized, healed and strained. Simply bathing in it could bring about many benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. In fact, there were spas in the city that provide this very service at a high cost. It served the same purpose as a recovery potion and exercise, all in one, albeit at a much slower rate. If paired with training, however, the effects were multiplicative.

The area wasn’t truly free of monsters but few ever approached, as if repelled by the beauty of the glade. They wouldn’t pose a threat unless they were an aquatic species anyways. The pair still left their things on the island where the fig tree was rooted, so as to not have to fight their way to their equipment in case a dangerous monster did appear. The two friends marveled at the sight before them for a few minutes before jumping into the pool.

They tried the hot side first, allowing their bodies to relax under the water. They could only see a couple of meters in front of them, due to the thick mist and hanging vines, but could still talk just fine.

“Oh man, this water is better than advertised. How come there aren’t more people around here? I’ll definitely be coming back, even when I’m stronger,” said Marco. Elias tried to ignore the moans of pleasure coming from the grown man.

“There are similar pools in all the zones of this dungeon and a huge one in the Journeyman zone’s Temple. I keep forgetting that you’re actually new around here. Most of the people strong enough to come to this pool usually just go to the other ones. I’m sure some people come to this one too, probably,” said Elias.

Similar to the Temples on the surface, there were many Temples located within the dungeon’s depths. They provided a safe place for adventurers to camp since monsters couldn’t enter or spawn them. Well, a safe place from monsters at any rate.

“I’m actually hoping that my parents are planning on bringing me there to work on my foundation. I’ve heard that the place is incredibly beautiful. You should come with us if they do.” They were more than strong enough to escort him there, at least, so it was a real possibility.

“Yeah… My father already has plans regarding that. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here in the first place. When I said that I won’t be around for a few weeks, I didn’t just mean that I wouldn’t be coming to the dungeon to level up. I’ll be going away for a while to work on my own foundation. I really can’t tell you any more than that though.” Marco looked somewhat embarrassed by the admission and Elias couldn’t understand why.

“It’s fine man. It sucks that we won’t be able to hang out for a while, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Why do you look so embarrassed? You look like you’re about to confess your love or something,” Elias said with a grin. Marco rolled his eyes at his friend and snorted, clearly relieved at something.

“It’s not that, it’s – Well, it’s honestly a huge opportunity. I asked if I could bring you with us, but dad said no.” Elias made an ‘oh’ at his friend’s explanation. He hadn’t expected that. It seems Marco has a serious case of wealth guilt.

Elias didn’t actually care that much about wealth. Well, not beyond the norm. He obviously liked having money as much as anybody else, but only because of what it could buy. Many people accumulated wealth and power to feed their narcissistic tendencies, to obtain status and control over others. He was an adventurer. The only status he wanted would come from his own deeds. Not that any of this would stop him from making fun of his friend.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you’re rich and you still made me pay for – Hold on, I actually did pay for the dueling ring by myself!” Realization struck Elias like lightning and he glared at his friend. Marco burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder.

Cheap bastard!

“You’re the one who wanted to fight so much. Have some pity man, you did actually win that match. But yeah, I don’t like talking about it but my dad is a pretty strong adventurer. Let’s go to the cold side now,” said Marco, changing the subject.

Elias had underestimated how cold the water really was on the other side of the pool. His skin tightened from the abrupt temperature change and his eyes widened, as his muscles began to involuntarily contract. While his breathing was relaxed before, it now came in short and quick breath. The strangest part is that his body really did feel energized. It felt like waking up to a cold bucket of water, shocking him into alertness.

The meeting point of the two halves of the pool was by far the more interesting experience. It felt truly magical. The properties of the hot and cold water seemed to amplify each other without merging. Due to the greater difference in temperature, the hot water felt hotter, and the cold water felt colder.

Elias felt like he was expanding and contracting, heating and cooling, relaxing fully and going taut, all at the same time. It was as if his body was under tremendous strain, yet was the most relaxed it had ever been, vibrating with energy and power. He began to meditate like his mother taught him to do during their stretching sessions. The exercise came easier in his strange state, letting him quickly retreat into himself, signifying the springs even had a positive effect on training the Spirit.

They stayed like that for several minutes, meditating and relaxing, until they heard the sound of more people approaching. Looking up, Elias was surprised to see Melinda and John. They were accompanied by an older man holding a pair of machetes, who spotted them as soon as the group entered the glade.

John dropped his shield on the ground with a groan of relief, shaking his hands dramatically. Elias wondered how the man managed to fight with that shield in the jungle, if he could barely even hold it for extended periods. The thing looked really heavy, so it was no surprise that the man had trouble lugging it around. That’s the exact reason why people didn’t carry huge shields through this kind of terrain.

“Don’t be a baby John, can’t you even handle a little walk? You know I hate weak men. Look at Simmons, he doesn’t complain all the time,” said Melinda in a huff. John appeared aggrieved at the comment but said nothing, giving the woman a resentful look only when she looked away. The interaction only increased Elias’ surprise, as it deeply contrasted with his image of his childhood friend. He had never seen her be anything other than polite to those around her.

The man, Simmons apparently, cleared his throat to get Melinda’s attention and motioned to Marco and Elias. She turned to look their way and gasped in surprise at seeing the pair of shirtless men soaking in the water. John also turned their way but the man’s expression only turned into one of confusion as he looked between the two men.

“Marco! I didn’t expect to see you here, what a pleasant surprise! Is this your – Elias?!” When she saw Elias, her expression turned into one of shocked uncomprehension, matching John’s perfectly. Elias couldn’t see his own expression but he imagined it would look just like theirs. Marco and Simmons just observed the interaction in confused amusement.

What in the world was going on?

“Hey Melinda. John. Nice to,” Elias began to greet the group but was soon interrupted by Melinda.

“What are you doing here!? Shouldn’t you be killing level 1 monsters or something? Why would someone like–,” Melinda abruptly cut herself off, taking a deep breath to recompose herself. She had gathered herself quickly into her tirade, but he thought he noticed a hint of derision in her tone. It was well concealed, just barely there at all. He frowned.

Melinda was his oldest friend, even if they weren’t close anymore. He couldn’t believe that she would disparage him. No, he must have imagined it. He turned to Marco to see the man’s reaction, just to make sure. The man was also frowning, eyes hard.

“I mean, it’s nice to see you too, Elias. I was just surprised at seeing you here,” she continued primly, trying to salvage the situation. Her manner of speech had abruptly changed back into what he had come to expect from his interactions with her. Nice, with a hint of propriety.

“Hello Melinda. We,” said Marco in a slightly clipped voice, gesturing to himself and Elias, “were just leaving. Isn’t that right Elias?”

Elias nodded dumbly as his friend turned to look at him, lost in thought. Melinda sputtered at that answer and tried to convince them that they should stay, but they quickly gathered their things. As they passed the other group he still gave them a polite nod and farewell, noting John’s look of embarrassment.

Melinda was definitely upset now, looking at him in bitter resentment, but clearly holding herself from saying anything more. Simmons only looked on in cold detachment, his hands resting against his blades. The most alarming issue to Elias was that throughout his interactions with Melinda, he had never noticed any condescension from her. She obviously had plenty of it, judging by how she talked to a member of her own party. He concluded that this could only be his increased Charisma at work.

Charisma was mostly about how a person perceived themselves and their own experiences. However, to better understand oneself is to better understand others. By widening a person’s perspective on their own experiences, they can better understand their own roles in them. Right now, Elias felt like he’d been playing the role of the fool.

His mind was looping, reviewing every interaction he could remember, seeing it all in a new light. He realized that this wasn’t the first time Melinda had let her mask slip around him, he had simply always ignored it, thinking he’d imagined it. A part of him still couldn’t believe it and it frightened him greatly.

“I’m sorry for what happened back there, man,” said Marco with a sigh, pulling him out of his thoughts. They had walked for several minutes without saying a word, not even when killing monsters. His friend looked awkward and worried, still clearly upset. “I feel like I owe you an explanation for the way I acted, so just hear me out, alright?”

“We – my father and I – came to this city because he was hired by Melinda’s parents as a trainer, to help them break through the bottleneck to Master. I told you before that he is strong, but he is actually a late stage Master ranked adventurer.” Elias was surprised at that revelation. Masters were extremely powerful, possessing attributes above level 60.

The power of attributes increases exponentially with the increase in level. Every level in an attribute increases its power by ten percent. For example, if someone is capable of lifting 400kg with a level 10 Strength, they would be able to lift 440kg with a level 11 Strength. A Master has their attributes between level 60 and 80. Without even taking Skills into account, the weakest of them could run faster than the speed of sound.

“I met Melinda at dinner when we arrived. She seemed nice and polite at first, even invited me to join her party. I obviously declined, in no small part because she’s a power leveler, and I was sure glad I did after talking with her for a while. That girl is a narcissist through and through. I just can’t stand people like that. I didn’t even know you two knew each other,” said Marco.

“Anyway, I don’t actually know what kind of relationship you have with her, but I didn’t like the way she talked to you,” said Marco. Elias was moved by his friend’s sincerity and compassion.

“No worries man. I was actually thankful that you stood up for me like that. I was in a bit of shock at what I was seeing, to be honest,” said Elias. He then explained his relationship with Melinda, how they’d been friends with her for a long time. He even told Marco of how he used to have a crush on the girl when he was younger.

“Man, how blind can you be to not have noticed it until now? Were you born with a Charisma of 1 or something?” Elias gave his friend an awkward laugh, explaining that he was not born with a Charisma of 1. He was born with a Vitality of 1, his Charisma was a 3. Marco was speechless for a long while at Elias’ revelation.

“Well, that explains why you looked like a particularly frail stick the first time we met,” his friend said with an only somewhat forced laugh. “Seriously, I didn’t even think it was possible for someone to be born with any attribute at level 1, much less Vitality. Not only that, but with Charisma at level 3 to boot. You should be glad there isn’t a luck attribute, or else you’d definitely have that at 1 as well.”

Elias gladly accepted his friend’s attempt to change the topic of conversation to something more lighthearted. Particularly, making fun of each other. With time, the mood of the trek returned to as it was before. By the time they left the jungle, Elias was even able to raise his Charisma again and was well on his way to the next level.

Congratulations! Your Charisma has risen to level 6

Marco didn’t give him an estimate of when he would be back from his trip with his father, but said that it should be a couple of weeks. They also finally agreed on officially forming a party once he returned and Elias realized he would have to hurry and reach level 10 already, or else he might get left behind.

They had been able to gather a little under 8.000 energy from their leveling trip, which was enough to buy themselves the cheeseburger combo, and a couple of beers besides. They ate and drank to celebrate friendship and adventure.