At the edge of my vision, I see an orange light, much too bright for a wisp to emit, if there are colored variants. It could be another type of monster, using light to lure in other beings like an angler fish. As the light gets closer, I notice that the light itself is flickering and moving slightly up and down. It’s closer to a torch than a glow skill, so maybe it’s a person or even a group of people. Eventually, my mana threads begin to pick up the sounds of footsteps and a hushed conversation once they’re close enough.
“Miss Charna, please don’t go too far ahead. I can handle this dungeon alone, but it’s still a mid-level dungeon with enough traps and monsters to easily kill a non-delver.”
Oh, I can understand them. I’m pretty sure they aren’t speaking any language from Earth, nor have I learned any foreign languages. My mana threads seemed to vibrate a bit before moving in smooth tandem with their words. That voice I just heard was deep and gravelly, so it’s probably a man. And did he say dungeon? That would mean I’m not in a natural cave where monsters can naturally spawn, but rather I’m in a specific structure unique to this world that houses trials and monsters. Presumably, his kind would be called dungeon delvers if this miss is referred to as a non-delver. I can’t see them yet, but they continue their conversation anyway.
“Oh, but you were talking such a big game at the guild hall yesterday when I was looking for a bodyguard. You said this is a simple dungeon that you could clear in a day if you prepared enough. Protecting me while I carry out my research would be such an easy job; the payout is highway robbery. Was I wrong to believe you were strong enough to protect me? We can always go back and tell the guild you weren’t able to fulfill the request.”
“Wait, you don’t have to go that far. I am confident in my skills, but I’m not omnipotent. I can’t save you if you leave my reach and trigger a lethal trap. A monster could pop out of the shadows and seriously injure you before I can dispatch it.”
“All I’m hearing is that you aren’t confident enough in yourself, so maybe I shouldn’t be either.”
“Alright, alright, just please don’t go too far. I’d rather not have a client die in the middle of a job, so please let me do my job.”
“Hmph, I guess I can do that. But I’ll prioritize my research over my safety, so I’ll need you to be on your toes when that happens.”
“By the gods, why did I accept this job? Alright, you said you were a monster researcher looking into wisps, but why? Nobody has found any use for them in all this time. What’s the point of this?”
?
!!
“Oh, do you have an interest in monster research?”
“No, but knowing why you’re interested should help me predict when you’ll jump off into the dark and get yourself nearly killed. The only things I need to know about monsters are their weaknesses, what doesn’t work against them, and the fastest way to kill them before they kill me. None of those things really apply to wisps.”
“Aw, pity, but you’re right. After centuries of documented research into the ecology of dungeons and the monsters within, a use has been found for every single one, well, except for wisps. Whether it be as a tamed monster, materials for equipment, or everyday utilities, wisps haven’t been found to produce anything of value, dead or alive. When you kill them with magic, they just disappear without a trace. Try to take them out of the dungeon, then their mana drains as they glow with no way to regenerate it, until they burn themselves out.”
“Yeah, that’s the common understanding amongst dungeon delvers. They just seem to be decent enough light to guide your way through dungeons. Most of us just consider them as part of the dungeon ambiance.”
“Ooh, ambiance is a big word for an adventurer. I’m surprised that’s part of your vocabulary despite the meathead look.”
“Oh, well, I’ve done a bit of reading, and my buddy said women like smart, strong men- Wait! That isn’t important! What are we doing here? You still haven’t answered that.”
Their conversation confirms a few things I assumed about this world. They seem to be following common fantasy story tropes, featuring adventurer types and a guild for them. Unfortunately, the woman also confirmed what I thought about the role of wisps in this world. Learning about a wisp’s tendency to die outside of dungeons is a good tidbit to remember. It looks like adventuring outside of the dungeon will have to be put on hold for now. After they walked and talked for long enough, they finally got into visual range. Huh, the man really does look like a meathead. He had big, bulging muscles underneath armor using a mix of metal and leather. The metal pieces are only protecting the vital areas and the rest is leather, probably prioritizing agility and maneuverability over protection. Even his helmet prioritizes visibility over defensive protection. Speed over defense against monsters, yeah, makes sense. The woman, on the other hand, is a surprise to see. She’s a beautiful woman walking through a dungeon with her hair down and a long, flowing silver dress. Who the hell would wear that getup into a dungeon? No wonder the dude is already exasperated with her. Wait, that doesn’t seem right. Looking closer, the image I’m seeing is actually a faint, slightly glowing projection. It was the first thing my mana perceived, so I assumed that’s what she looked like, but there’s another layer below that projection. She’s still a beautiful woman, but wearing glasses and a tight-knit hair bun. She’s dressed in a more standard explorer get-up, like you would see on someone going into a jungle, minus the hat. As soon as I’m finished getting a complete look at both of her images, she looks directly at me, sending a shiver down my non-tangible body.
“Well, you see, humans can level but can’t evolve, whereas monsters can level to evolve. Every monster that has been discovered in the dungeons across the continent has been found to evolve into specific monsters based on certain conditions. We likely haven’t found every single evolutionary path of all monsters because of certain environmental or unique conditions being hard to replicate. Researchers believe the majority of strong monsters evolved from weaker monsters, rather than spontaneously spawning the way weak monsters do. That isn’t to say it doesn’t happen, strong monster sightings can be discovered and handled before it gets to that point, but spontaneous appearances usually have dire consequences.”
“And what does that have to do with wisps? They can’t evolve since they can’t kill anybody.”
“It is believed they can’t evolve because we have no way to conceive of a wisp managing to kill anything by itself, nor could human intervention manage to achieve it outside of the dungeon. But what about inside the dungeon? When you delve into dungeons with a party, experience isn’t given solely to whoever slays a monster, correct?”
“Yeah, you don’t get as much if you aren’t the one to deal the final blow, but you still get a decent portion of the experience points towards your level. It’ll take longer, but you’ll still level and get stronger as long as you pitch in a meaningful effort in a fight.”
“Exactly, as long as they can contribute to a fight, a being should still get XP for killing another, human or monster.”
Huh, I didn’t notice it before, but I didn’t get a good look at her eyes. Those sharp, piercing eyes that seem to stare straight into the depths of my soul. She bears two, different colored eyes, one red, and the other gold, glowing with an inhuman light. Before I know it, she grabs me in her hand, encompassing me in her mana, and then her mana intermixes with mine. Strangely, it doesn’t feel odd like it did when I interacted with that other wisp. But, no matter how I look at it, this can’t be good. Wielding me in one hand, she thrusts me towards the man’s face, her mana forcing me to activate my skill ‘Glow’ as bright as I can get.
“Wha!!!”
Then, smoothly, with an elegant grace, she pulls a knife out of its sheath on her hip, forming a smooth arc as she buries it in his throat. With blinded eyes, he stares directly at her as he breathes his last, and me watching helplessly as a tool for her.
“I’m sorry to have to do this, but I needed someone to help with my plans, and you were the unfortunate one to volunteer. I promise you peace in your next life.”
She then looks at me with those red and gold eyes and speaks directly to me.
“And you, I know I sometimes do things as barbarous as this, but it really is rude to call a lady a devil.
Oh, it’s Chaos incarnate.
