"I don't like this."
The one talking is Yaci, and we are in our tent in the morning of our expedition to the dungeon.
"Why?"
"You shouldn't be doing this. You are just a child. And for what? What are you supposed to gain from this?"
"Well, possibly an ally? If she is one of the creators of the system, she might know stuff that would help everyone, not just us."
"But it isn't right to dump it on you. She has been there for ages, and only now are we doing something about it? By sending a child?"
She is visibly frustrated, and it's understandable. But the Loa, having met with Oya, probably knows about my background as an otherworlder.
And also there's the task Oya herself expects me to do, of freeing the people of this world from the fetters of slavery.
And having that in mind, getting the help of one of the people who created the system would be a great help.
I'm beginning to suspect that this system is detrimental for everyone, including the humans.
Those skills are nice and all, and the stats increase even more, but I worry about where that energy is coming from.
Obviously, I can't tell her about any of this.
To her, I'm only a child, as she said. So I have to play as one.
"Don't worry. It will be fun. And I want to know the person behind that tale and save the one who was betrayed by the goddess."
And I complete it with my finishing move, an angelical smile.
"Don't you think she deserves to be saved as well?"
I know that I don't play fair. But, if anyone cares, it isn't me.
:::
Before we depart, I spend some time meditating, alone inside the tent.
I don't have access to colored candles or any of the paraphernalia usually associated with the Oya cult in Brazil, so I simply make some with illusions.
What matters is the intention, right?
I create two imaginary candles, one white and another pinky-orange. Then I send Oya a prayer, talking about where I am and asking for guidance in the path ahead.
I don't expect any answer, and I don't get any. I don't know what I would do if she had actually answered it.
In the last few weeks I have managed to gather a couple of pinky-orange ribbons and adorned my jacket with them.
Then I proceed to check my stat screen in the system. It's looking like this:
----------
Aurea Annes
Race: human / Age: 7
Level: 119 / Job: none
HP: 17,076/17,076
MP: 70,329/70,329
FP: 0/0
BODY
Strength: 160
Agility: 183
Toughness: 155
Endurance: 132
Recuperation (consolidated): 175
Resistance (consolidated): 221
SOUL
Analytical ability: 350
Focus: 223
Willpower: 259
Creativity: 198
Intuition: 233
Patience: 331
Memory: 401
Linguistic ability: 307
Spatial sense: 188
Musicality: 97
Kinesthetic sense: 111
Empathy: 214
Social awareness: 161
Mana sense: 457
SKILLS
Mana manipulation: lvl 32
Elemental magic (Lightning): lvl 100
Elemental magic (Water): lvl 12
Elemental magic (Wind): lvl 9
Elemental magic (Fire): lvl 8
Elemental magic (Smoke): lvl 2
Illusion magic: lvl 42
Body magic: lvl 38
Cooking: lvl 14
Hiding: lvl 12
Dodging: lvl 28
Butchering: lvl 12
Object appraisal: lvl 8
Creature analysis: lvl 2
Swordplay: 22
Spear handling: 18
Thunderous strike: 10
Body strengthening: 25
Improved heat resistance: 18
Improved poison resistance: 5
Improved magic resistance: 21
Skill Points available: 87,587
TITLES
Daughter of Thunder
Wesgoth Royal Bloodline
Runaway Slave of Duke Addlington [CRIME]
----------
I haven't leveled up, but I have been spending a lot of skill points, unlocking some new skills and upgrading others.
I think that the appraisal-related skills, one for objects and another for creatures, will be really useful down in a dungeon.
I feel bad relying on it, but a girl has to use anything that's available for surviving. Right? I'm not to blame for being born in this kind of situation.
In any case, I'm ready. Let's go.
:::
I meet with the others, and we start walking towards the dungeon entrance.
It's Yaci, Kwarah, the fox warriors Kawan, Pyatan, and Mwacir, and three wolf warriors, and me.
It feels like a solid group, if you ask me.
"Kwarah, what exactly is a dungeon?"
I ask the question that has been tormenting me since yesterday. Of course, I know what a dungeon is in RPG terms. But in this world, what exactly is the definition of dungeon?
"I'm told dungeons are a place where both monsters and treasure spawn naturally over time."
I wasn't expecting such a straightforward videogame definition, that's for sure.
"Spawn? Like, appear from nothing?"
"Exactly. Nobody knows exactly how it works, but even if you have already killed the monsters of a room and looted the contents of the chests, if you go back some time later, the monsters will be there again, and there will be some random new loot inside the chest."
That... doesn't make sense at all. I mean, that's how they work in video games, not in real life.
"H-how...? How do the monsters and treasure appear there? Where do they come from?"
Kwarah just shrugs. It's Pyatan who answers.
"It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that they are there, and we can sell both the treasure and the monster materials for a nice price."
"It's said that dungeons appeared for the first place when the adventuring system was created. There aren't many in the Barrens, but in the human lands you can find several."
Yaci added the last bit. Whoa, so it is really tied to the adventuring system.
Probably created by the goddess as a way for humans to keep raising their levels, huh?
So it's probably a byproduct of all that funneling of the planet's energy. Now I understand more why the dragonkind wants to have nothing to do with that place.
It feels like a coal-burning factory with low energy efficiency. If you are conscious of the globe heating, you would want to steer clear of it as well.
Wait... if there's treasure spawning there... I might end up finding something interesting for myself.
Like an amulet for magic or something.
Hey!!! A girl can dream. I'll be only using what already exists. The energy is already being funneled anyway.