20 Chapter 15 (1/2)
Next day, at the bottom layer of the mine.
After a long grunt of talk last night, Tokaya and Tenko have reconciled with each other with Tenko approaching her first. She admitted to her mistake and will not do it again, but she didn't expect that Tokaya would do the same as well.
It was a mistake on her part as well for not noticing the Fatigue System in place, even though it was right next to her stamina status. That was a huge blunder, and she has promised not to repeat it.
...
As Tenko opened her eyes, she saw Chika is playing around with her frog. It's only just now she realized it. Since when Chika has that slimy green creature with her, though she didn't question it.
Tenko quickly get her body up and stretches it out, ”Hnngh, hmm…”
”You awake, sleepyhead?”
She shifted her eyes around and saw Tokaya is offering her hand, Tenko took it and stood up.
”Here, this is the only one left.” Tokaya gave her a fruit, it was the same she ate last night. ”Thank you.”
*chomp*
*crunch *crunch
With a mouth full of juice and crunchy texture, ”Ifh af hhouf hifhierh hathn hie hfoer” (It's a lot crisper than before)
”Heh, you got lucky then.”
Tenko's lips tilted.
As her heart soothed, Tokaya then told the group to come together. ”So, we concluded that the left path is going to be at least the type of boss room or something, right? It's dangerous for us to go there now. The stats and our gear are quite… pathetic.”
”What's a boss? Some sort of leader or something?”
”Yeah, it's a gaming term, I suppose. The monster in the boss room will be a lot stronger than anything else we have encountered, so we will be taking another pathway and look for something there instead.”
Tenko nodded, ”Okay, let's go then.”
”You sure you don't want to warm up first?”
”Oh right, let's do that.”
After a while of stretches and warm-ups, they took a break for a while and then head inside the pathway in the middle. Even though they were sure that it's already morning by now, the inside of the mine is still dark as always.
However, the atmosphere is... different. They feel a lot fresher than ever when they entered the mine. The atmosphere gets even colder but they are used to it by now.
The group's position right now has been changed, Anko is now following Tenko from behind, and the distance between them and the other two are closer now. This should help Tenko when she gets into trouble that she can't handle and in need of quick assistance.
Looking left and right, Anko said, ”There are empty torches here, go light them up, Tenko.”
”Mm.”
Tenko light up the torches as they go.
After a while of walking they found another turn. Tenko peeked into the left and light the area, she found a doorless room.
”Hey, check this out!”
The group looked to each other and then catches up with her. They all went in and check different parts of it. The bed was made simply by using grass and covered by an animal skin, they also found a lantern. Unfortunately, no oil to light it up, but they took it with them nonetheless with Anko is the one who is holding it.
Tokaya found something on the table, a coin purse, a gem, and a thin book. ”Hm, a diary?”
She flips it open and read through its content. It said that the mine has been running for a long time, gathering a much needed and most sought resources, silver.
The man who wrote the diary has been working in the mine for over than 20 years digging up those silvers and selling them to the nearby kingdom. He has been living well and steadily inside the mine along with the other co-workers. They cannot live outside due to their citizenship, which is from another opposing kingdom, hence why they are not allowed to be INSIDE the closest kingdom, Sonata.
They've been doing it for years, and they are comfortable with it.
However, it all changes when a certain monster called ”Devil's tongue” appeared. One by one, the workers keep disappearing, and they did not know why. One has spotted a tongue-like creature going around in the darkness of the mine, and it was suggested that it was a creature, a monster. Thus, everyone decided to name it Devil's Tongue and then leave to hire adventures to take care of it. However, none actually came, and all the workers have left and give up. Except for one… the man who wrote the diary.
Tokaya's lips hardened, ”Dusty and looks… pretty old.”
Tenko noticed something in the wall. As she squinted her eyes and then rubbed the said wall from the dust. Quickly, her eyes widened in terror, ”Gyaaaaaaaaah!”
The three startled, Tokaya asked, ”Tenko, what happened?”
”T-T-T-That, a Skeleton!!”
Tokaya's eyes widened as she saw it, ”That's…”
*Crash*
Loud noises coming from their behind, they quickly turned around and saw some kind of creature, a jet-black centipede with a disgusting goo on its head along with a pair of bone wings on its back. Just like an instinct, Chika quickly appraised it.
[Corpse-Eater Petitry lv. 14]
HP: 235 / MP: 60