Silver Spoon Series

After leaving Two Socks and Akilatjin to sleep off their meal, Alan had run through two more dungeons. Both had been shorter ones, but also overloaded. The enemies' power levels had been right around the quartz/opal divide, and the rewards had been good. He had picked up another pile of coins, but also a nice bow with an inscription for durability and a pair of leather gloves that sped up the wearer's hand speed.

Alan had tried those out, he had a talent for quick hands, but they could always be faster. Unfortunately the enchantment hampered his ability to move mana through his hands, which would cause a noticeable delay in his casting. They went in his necklace along with the bow to be sold at the adventurers shop in Elstree, after he got a chance to have Indiana scan them. Someone else would get more out of them, so there was no point in him hogging the items.

He had finished both dungeons, including travel time, in a little over four hours. Just like the first dungeon he had done recently, these had not had a time dilation. The dungeon he was in right now, however, had a two to one dilation, so every hour inside was only a half an hour on the outside. It was also a longer dungeon, one filled with traps and puzzles.

The first floor had seen him avoiding pitfall traps, a trap where darts shot out of the wall, and a puzzle where he had needed to fill a basin with an exact amount of water using two different sized jugs. That one was such a cliche that it was almost painful to see. Currently he was on the second floor and he had already bypassed a rockfall trap. That would have been a bad end to his day. The quest for this dungeon appeared simple, find the exit, but it was a one way dungeon, so there was no going back if you got stuck.

At the moment he was working on a puzzle that involved stacking discs. They had been enchanted somehow (he had spent a few minutes trying to figure out the method but he had finally given it up as too advanced for his skills at the moment), so that a larger disc would not be able to rest on a smaller one. If you tried, the larger disc would refuse to be pushed down. The dungeon also made it so that only one disc could be moved at a time, the others would be locked together until all the discs were connected to the base again.

The challenge was to move the stack of discs from the starting base to a second base, but the problem was that the discs were initially placed in a pyramid with the largest one on the bottom. There was a third base that he could use to help him move things around, but it had stumped him for a moment at the start. After a few minutes of figuring out the rules of what could be moved and when, he had come up with an algorithm and was now monotonously following it until all of the discs were once again stacked nicely on the end base. Once he did, a slot opened underneath revealing a common mage quartz class stone, and a previously sealed door popped open allowing him to continue. While the reward was useless to him now, and he had a whole bunch of them already, to a normal adventurer this would be a valuable reward, and it wasn't even the final one.

Before moving through the new doorway, he inspected it with his eyes, his senses, and then his hands. You couldn't be too careful in this place. Everything seemed fine, so he cautiously made his way out and down the hallway, still constantly checking for the slightest thing being off. This time the area was clear.

The next room was another puzzle, and it was a confusing one. There was a collection of items in the center of the room, and a multitude of carvings on the walls. The intention, at least, was easy to figure out. Alan needed to look around the room and discover clues in the decorations. It took him a while, but after about half an hour he found a commonality to all the carvings, and using that he was able to start making sense of things.

After figuring out what to look for on the walls, he studied the items closer and found matching symbols on them. He took a guess and brought each of the items to the matching carving, but nothing happened when he set them all down. Then he tried touching the mark on the items to the matching symbol on the carving, and that got a reaction. The carving lit up and came to life. Not in the sense of a monster appearing or anything, instead the carving started moving on the wall depicting a scene.

Alan watched each for a minute or so until the images started to repeat. It might have been the teacher's pet in him, but he wanted to be ready in case any of the scenes were relevant later on. After the last item was matched up with its carving, a door opened, revealing a set of stairs leading up. Alan checked the exit, but he didn't find anything. It was good he was still looking as he went up the stairs because the top step had a pressure plate connected to it. He wasn't sure what this one did, but he avoided it by simply stepping over it.

The room he was in now was fairly large, but he was only standing on a small platform. Moving over to the edge, he noticed that the platform was solid all the way down, but the rest of the room dropped about thirty meters to another floor. This one was crawling with hobgoblins, similar to the creatures he had seen in his very first dungeon. He could now see their level and it was high quartz, but not quite opal.

The platform he was on was empty, so he started searching around the rest of the area, while keeping back from the edge. The hobgoblins hadn't noticed him yet, and he would like to keep it that way. There really didn't seem to be anything here on the platform, but Alan saw a doorway on the wall across from him. It was at least twenty meters away so there was no way he was going to make that jump.

Further scanning of the walls revealed magical symbols. Alan saw ones for fire, water, stone, and air. This would be a tricky challenge for anyone not familiar with the magical language, but fortunately Alan had been forced to learn it. Looking around the rest of the room, he couldn't find anything else letting him know what to do. With no other ideas, Alan sent a small fire bolt towards the flame sigil. When it impacted, nothing seemed to happen, other than alerting the hobgoblins below to his presence.

There was a roar from the mass of creatures and a lot of angry sounding grunts and squeals. Since he was revealed anyway, he walked to the edge and peered down. A rock from a sling went flying past his head and he quickly ducked back. His body was much tougher than even when he was fresh out of boot, but he still didn't want to take one of those things to his head. The fire bolt had been ineffective, it was time to try something else.

Fire hadn't worked on the fire symbol, maybe it would work on one of the others. He sent another fire bolt, but this time he aimed for the water symbol, maybe it was designed for its opposite. The ball of flames impacted the wall right on target and there was some kind of reaction. He hadn't been focused enough with his aura senses to really notice what was going on, but there was a burst of energy and then a loud grinding noise, followed by excited shouting from below.

Risking a quick peak, he could now see that the floor below was noticeably closer. His platform hadn't sunk, or at least it was still lined up with the door, so the ground the hobgoblins were on must be rising. He would have watched longer, but the ting of a rock bouncing off his small helmet let him know that it wasn't safe.

The danger here was now clear. If he continued to screw up, the floor would rise until the hobgoblins swarmed him. There were a lot of them, so he wasn't sure if he could take them. Maybe he would be better off picking them off while they were still unable to reach him, and then letting the floor rise, allowing him to safely cross. His mana would continually replenish so he could cast meteor all day long, but it would probably take all day too. Plus, Alan had some pride, so he would only resort to that if he couldn't figure out the actual puzzle.

In the interest of being thorough, he shot a fire bolt at the stone and air marks, but nothing happened. So, there had only been a reaction when the fire hit the water sigil, but it hadn't been a good reaction. Maybe he should try water against the fire one. He didn't have a great directional water attack, but he summoned a ball of water as close to the mark as he could. As the water splashed onto the wall, there was another burst of energy.

This time Alan was paying better attention, and he could follow the released mana as it shot towards the door. It went to a spot just underneath it, and a stone walkway appeared. It only covered about five meters, leaving another fifteen of empty air, but it was progress. He tried doing the same thing again and summoned more water, but when the symbol activated, the mana flowed down the wall to the floor below, instead of to the door.

With another screech, the floor rose again. With only twenty meters separating them now, a fact he had once again risked a concussion to learn, Alan was starting to think that taking them out before they got any closer was a good idea. Large crowds of enemies called for large ordinance. If he was looking for massive damage in a big area, meteor was definitely his best spell.

Summoning his mana he directed the spell at the floor underneath the door. Once again a meteor formed and streaked to the ground. It was kind of weird to see a rock fall from the sky while indoors, but it was also literal magic. When it hit, two things happened. About ten of the hobgoblins were blown away. Three or four seemed to die instantly, while the others were left in various stages of injury.

The second thing that happened was that their floor started rising up again. Not as much as the last two times, but it presented him with a problem. If attacking from up on his platform caused the floor to rise, he would run out of room before he made enough of a dent in their numbers. There had been more than a hundred when he first looked down, and it would take him twenty or so meteors to take them out. If the dungeon didn't start changing things, the hobgoblins would be able to reach him long before that happened.

Okay, if taking out the monsters wasn't an option, it was time to workshop this puzzle. The symbols would react to their opposite mana, so he could trigger all of them. It also seemed like there was an order or pattern he needed to use, but he had no idea what it was. He spent another couple of minutes going over everything he could see again. There still wasn't anything he could find. With nothing else to go on, Alan resorted to trial and error and hoped that he got lucky.

He had first gotten success with water on fire, but a second time had been a failure, causing the floor to rise. The question was, did that failure reset things and he needed to start with it again, or was it locked in and he needed to trigger a different one now. Since the section of floor by the door was still there, Alan was leaning towards continuing on. Deciding to trust himself, he shot a fire bolt at the water symbol.

Once again the floor rose. They were now about fifteen meters below him. Soon they might even be able to climb out. Taking another risk, he hit the earth symbol with a gust of air. Again a burst of mana flowed along the wall to the door, causing another section of walkway to appear. The gap now was about ten meters, something it was maybe possible he could jump with his improved stats, but he wasn't going to risk it since a fall would be deadly.

With two successful hits, Alan thought that he had the puzzle figured out. He shot another fire bolt at the water and was rewarded with a burst of mana and a screech as the floor rose. Why was fire always causing him issues? There was a lot of shouting and then suddenly it got suspiciously quiet. He was about to risk another peek over the edge when he caught sight of an ugly head looking at him. Somehow one of the hobgoblins had gotten high enough to reach the platform and he was climbing over.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Since the creature was in such a vulnerable position, Alan ran over and bashed its head with the blunt side of his spewn. The force knocked the dead hobgoblin off the platform and sent it smashing to the floor below. The monsters down there were surprised to see him, so he had a moment to survey the scene before rocks would start flying. The ingenious little bastards had formed a human, or monster, pyramid and used it to boost one of them up high enough to reach the top.

If Alan didn't do anything, more would be able to repeat the feat, but at the moment he was distracted by something else he saw. There on the floor, where it was previously covered up by the sheer mass of ugly monster bodies, there was a diagram showing fire, earth, air, and fire again. This must be the clue he was supposed to follow to extend the walkway. Because the dungeon was overflowing with energy, it looked like it had caused there to be more monsters than normal and they had completely blocked him from finding the clue.

Before another hobgoblin could climb to the top, Alan used his exploding missile spell to trigger the air symbol. This caused another section of walkway to appear. He knew the last symbol to activate and could trigger it now to finish the walkway, but five meters was something he was confident in jumping. He was also concerned that the hobgoblins might try and follow him. By leaving the gap he hoped to cause a problem for the less nimble creatures, and he was counting on it to keep them from catching up to him.

With a short running start, Alan leapt, and had a moment to look down and see his death before his boot landed on the suspended walkway. His foot started to slide and he thought he was going to lose it before his other leg landed and he was able to catch his balance. Perhaps that hadn't been as easy as he thought it would be. The monsters below had abandoned their pyramid and were now pelting him with rocks. Shielding his head as best he could, Alan ran for the door.

In his haste, he failed to properly scan for any traps, and after his first step he found the floor falling away beneath him. While his rush had caused the problem, it also proved to be his salvation. Even as his running step had triggered the trap door, it also provided him enough momentum that his body kept moving horizontally long enough for his windmilling arms to grab the far side as he started to fall. He was now hanging by his arms from the opposite edge. It was a good thing he was fit, because pulling yourself up a ledge is even harder than a regular pullup, especially since the sides were perfectly smooth, providing little to no leverage.

Once he was safe on the floor of the hallway again, Alan finally looked down to see his narrowly avoided fate. A pool of bubbling green fluid was at the bottom. If he had been a little taller and hung down from the edge, his feet most likely would have just touched the goo. If he had to guess, it was probably acid or some really toxic poison. With that crisis averted, Alan made his way down the hall much more carefully.

The passage wasn't very long, and at the end there was a ladder leading down. Without a good way of testing the ladder as he went down, Alan had to grit his teeth and press on. This was a oneway dungeon, so the only way to go was forwards. He still probed each rung with his foot first, but he made his way down without incident. It was a n exceptionally long ladder, but eventually he found himself standing in a very large room.

The walls were some kind of dark brick and the lighting was provided by several torches located around the room. Oh, and also by a giant bonfire in the center. There was no apparent fuel, it was simply a mass of flames rising from the floor. As he studied it more, Alan realized that it wasn't coming from the floor. There seemed to be a staircase leading down at the bottom of all that fire. He was now intrigued.

Moving through the room, Alan noticed several other things. Around the edge of the room, there were quite a few raised plant beds with various things growing in them. He recognized a few, and his herbology skill recognized some others, but many were unknown to him. He also found a firepit that was filled with logs, but was currently unlit. Sitting on top of that stack of wood was a simple iron cauldron with a few quartz chips embedded in it. Alan was willing to bet that it was an alchemy cauldron.

Nearby, Alan found a short pedestal with a small leather book. After checking thoroughly for traps, Alan opened the cover and looked inside. What he discovered was a recipe for a potion of fire resistance. It was supposed to be short lived, giving you perhaps twenty seconds of protection, but fairly strong. The book also contained pictures of the various plants that would be required, plus a description of a few more ingredients that weren't plant based.

On the list were some monster parts, some of those ingredients that the bounties were always looking for, and of course some quartz powder. Alan had many of the bounty items on him, but he didn't have everything the recipe required. Lifting up the book to inspect it more, he found a recessed button underneath it. When he pressed it (who could resist a shiny red button), the top of the pedestal flipped up and a series of containers was revealed.

Checking each of these revealed a small collection of the various items that had been listed in the recipe, as well as an alchemy stirring rod. The 'puzzle' was agonizingly obvious. He needed to follow the recipe to create this potion, and then drink it to allow him to access the stairs that were covered in the massive blaze. This shouldn't be too difficult since Alan actually knew some alchemy. He even had his own pot, but he decided to use what the dungeon had provided just in case of any hijinks.

His first task was to identify the plants he would need, and follow the instructions for collecting them and properly preparing them for the potion. He also collected a few extras in his storage for replanting after he left this dungeon. Out of curiosity, Alan checked his own alchemy book to see if he had the same recipe. It turned out that he did have several fire resistance potions, but none that were quite the same as the one listed here.

Preparing everything wasn't difficult, and soon he had the fire going and many of the ingredients cooking away in the pot. Using the stirring rod to infuse the concoction with his mana, Alan checked the next steps. It was a rather simple recipe, and the book did a good job of explaining in detail what to do. This would be a great introduction to alchemy for someone who wanted to learn, and that was probably what its original purpose was. They did call this thing a Tutorial after all.

After about forty-five minutes of work later, all of the ingredients were now in the cauldron and Alan was ready for the last step. He wasn't using his heating stones like normal, but he had kept the flames small so that they weren't an issue as he pressed his hands against the quartz stones on the side of the cauldron.

It was definitely inferior to the one Cassidy had given him, but Alan was still able to send his mana into the pot for the final infusion, it just took longer and wasn't as steady. After he was done, the contents turned into a thin yellow liquid that took up the bottom couple of inches of the cauldron. It was easily enough for six or seven doses and he stored them in the extra vials he now carried with him. Spatial storage items were just cheating, and he loved them for it.

Next he took the cauldron, stirring stick, recipe book, and any of the plants and other ingredients that were left, and put them in his necklace. These weren't the highest quality implements, but even these beginner versions were relatively expensive. Might as well take them, he would have little trouble finding a use for them. Downing a potion, Alan gave it a couple of seconds to take effect, and then stepped into the giant blaze.

He was most assuredly not fireproof, but the potion had only promised fire resistance. He instantly started sweating and it felt like some of the hairs on his arms were being singed, but his health was only dropping slightly. Not wanting to stay in this situation for any longer than necessary, Alan rushed down the steps, and hit one last trap. Luckily, it seemed like this one was more of a gag trap as it turned the spiral staircase into a slide and he found himself deposited on the floor of a small room that contained a chest and a portal.

The treasure chest was rather ornate. The metal bands holding the chest together were made of a matte black metal with golden nails fastening it down. The rest of it was made of wood, but the lock was a metal inlay in the shape of a beautiful woman with her hair billowing behind her and the hole for the key was her mouth. Unfortunately Alan didn't have a key, maybe he was supposed to pick the lock as a final challenge.

He stared at it for a moment. Alan didn't buy it. "It's a mimic, right?"

Tamee had been watching this whole time and answered in a too sincere sounding tone. "What do you mean, it looks totally normal to me."

Quest Update: The Puzzle Box

[You have found your way through all of the challenges. Use the key to gain your final reward.]

The aforementioned key appeared in his hand. It was one of those old-timey iron monstrosities, but that fit with the theme. "Oh, come one. This is obviously another trap in a place that's been filled with traps."

"How do you even know what a mimic is?" Tamee asked.

"They are really popular in some Earth fantasy games. It has even become a trope in movies too. This is way fancier than any chest I've seen so far, and it was a quest update, not a completion notice. This has to be a mimic."

"I can neither confirm nor deny your assertion." Her voice, however, carried a lot of amusement with it.

"Whatever." Identify wasn't telling him anything, which seemed like another give away. Not all inanimate objects returned a result, but still. Alan had no doubts that this thing was going to try and eat him when he tried to open it, but he wasn't sure how strong it would be. He was pretty sure he could take anything this dungeon could put out, but why risk it.

His crossbow might not be able to penetrate the wooden armor of the chest, if that is how mimics worked here, but his fire bolt should do something. Casting his minor regeneration spell just in case, Alan then shot a large fire bolt at the chest. It hit with some minimal charring, but there was no reaction. A second fire bolt got a similar result. Alan didn't want to use his meteor spell, just in case it was a real chest, so he forced himself to approach, spewn and shield at the ready. Eventually he stood over the chest and it hadn't twitched. Maybe this thing was legit after all.

No, this thing had to be a monster, it was just playing the game really well. Alan shifted his grip and smashed the top of the chest with his spewn. This was not only a gorgeous chest, but it was incredibly sturdy as well. Two more blows failed to leave any significant marks on the thing. With no other real way of damaging it, Alan put the spewn away and took out the key again.

Slowly he slid it into the woman's mouth, but there was still no reaction. "Tamee, if this is a normal chest I am going to be so pissed at you."

"I never said it was a mimic." She was definitely laughing this time.

Sighing, Alan turned the key and the mouth opened wide and sucked it inside. It tried to take Alan's hand with it, but he had never really given up his suspicions, so he was ready for trouble. Falling on his backside, Alan swung his shield around and positioned it between himself and the now slavering mouth that the chest had revealed. The entire lid, top and bottom, was lined with large, vicious looking teeth, and no fewer than three long tongues started flailing around.

With the chest now open, the monster's soft mouth interior was revealed, Alan sent an exploding missile into the fleshy bottom, and followed up with the pulse to trigger the explosion. The outside of this thing might be incredibly durable, but the inside of it erupted in a fountain of gore. That tough shell probably helped contain the energy making the interior damage even more significant.

Scooting backwards while still on his butt, Alan watched as the chest tipped over and went inert. Then there was a rather large lootnado and when it dissipated, there was a scroll and a small, ornate pin on the ground. Walking closer, he saw that the pin was in the shape of a fox. Further inspection showed that the fox had multiple tails.

Broach of the Kitsune (Uncommon): This pin, in the shape of the Ascended Beast it is named for, boosts the wearer's intelligence by two points.

That wasn't bad at all, and Alan planned on pinning it to his padded shirt. He would have to take his chainmail off first though, so that would come later. The other item turned out to be a magical scroll, this time for his healer class.

Scroll of Purify (Common): This scroll will teach the reader how to cast the spell Purify. This spell will remove poisons and toxins from food and water, and, while slightly less effective, also people. Requires a wisdom based class.

This was a great spell for the villagers running Indiana. They could cure the venom from the beetles with a regular healing spell, but this seemed more specific. He would have to test it out, but it would probably end up costing less mana or be able to deal with a higher concentration, or maybe even both. This had been a great haul, once again proving how right Gaf had been to be excited about the overloaded dungeons. And that was before Alan checked his completion notice.

Quest Complete: The Puzzle Box

[You successfully made your way past all of the traps and challenges. Reward: Diamond Monk Class Stone.]