Zachary Scott
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Chapter 96 - Hoot and the Loot
🕑 Added 2024-10-09 16:54:49 +0000 UTCI pulled out the Common Healer's Token while Hoot tried to keep his bulk contained in one corner of the room. Now that I was trapped in a confined space with the astral custodian, I could smell him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the scent, other than to say it reminded me of the way the air smelled just before a thunderstorm.
Pebble was beside me as I sat cross-legged on the floor with the Common Healer's Token between my fingers. With a touch of mana, the coin vanished and a small sack fell from thin air to land in my lap.
I peered inside the sack to find what looked like light green mints.
[Healer's Mints x20 (Common) (Wood)] While sucking on these mints, healing effects will be increased for the user. Also freshens breath.
Hoot leaned forward slightly, feathered fingers folded over his rounded belly. It looked as though he was trying to get a better look.
“Can you read the details on these yourself?” I asked. “Or… should I read them aloud for you?”
“That will not be necessary. I am the supreme lord of your dimensional space and have unlimited access to any and all information presented here.”
“I thought you were the custodian?”
Hoot ruffled his feathers, seeming to fatten by the second. “Titles are arbitrary things.”
Grinning, I looked back at the bag of mints, then stuffed them in my slip space. At first glance, breath mints that amplified healing effects seemed underwhelming. But I did have several ways to heal between Healing Potions, summoning Caterpriest, and Devour Mana. Even a slight increase to general healing effectiveness could turn a single mint into a pretty powerful tool.
I would have to give some to Lyria and tell her to use them at her own discretion. With her limited mana pool, being able to get more efficiency when I used Devour Mana on her in a pinch could make a difference.
I fished out the Common Dungeon Diver's Token next, touching it with mana and watching it vanish.
I was granted another leather sack. Inside, I found a neatly arranged assortment of food. There were dried meats, breadsticks, nuts, dried fruits, and smaller sacks with scented powders inside.
I inspected the bag.
[Self-preserving Rations (Common) (Wood)] An assortment of rations and spices that will magically preserve themselves and stay fresh. The bag itself has no magical properties.
“May I?” Hoot asked, reaching toward the bag. He clicked his beak a few times, dark purple tongue flapping inside with excitement.
I put my hand over the top of the bag. “Easy, big guy. I've got to save these for the next time I'm in a dungeon or something. You have no idea how tired someone can get of the same boring rations after a week. Compared to what we had in Beastden, this stuff is like gold.”
Hoot straightened, but his eyes didn't leave the rations. His eyes locked on the bag like he was trying to mentally will a slice of jerky into his beak
“I can go get you food from the common room when we're done,” I said. “It'll be way better than this stuff. Would you like that?”
Hoot cleared his throat, even though I suspected he didn't even have things like vocal cords. Something about the way his voice sounded and the odd, shimmery quality of his body made me feel like he wasn't entirely here, somehow. “That would be acceptable. Yes.”
“Any special requests?”
“I am not familiar with the cuisine of your world. But I am a curious eater who enjoys bold flavors and experimental ideas.”
“Ever heard of a meatball?”
“I believe I can visualize the concept. I would very much like to try one.”
“Alright,” I said, resolving to make a snack run for my butler when I was finished here. If Lyria was back by then, she could join us. I imagined she'd get a kick out of this guy and especially the guild hall, even if we'd be eating on the floor of an empty grand hall for now.
I’d have to look into where I could get a few hundred pounds of hardwood and see what Hoot could do with it to spruce the place up.
I held up my Common Lone Dungeon Diver's Token next. The token vanished and a flask fell down to land in my palm.
I was disappointed until I read the description.
[Refilling Flask of Pure Water (Common) (Wood)] Slowly refills itself to full by the end of the day.
I pursed my lips in appreciation. So far, the Dungeon Diver Tokens were definitely giving me things that would've been helpful in the dungeon. I supposed that made sense, but I hoped higher ranks could still reward items and not just consumables.
“This will come in handy,” I said, turning the flask over to admire it. It looked mostly plain, like a leather water skin. But it did have a little silver skull-shaped stopper that dangled from the tip by a chain. Fancy. This wouldn't be enough to keep me hydrated all by itself, but it's one less flask per day I need to worry about. That will add up for long trips, especially if I can earn more refilling flasks over time. It would also be great for brewing potions if I ever found myself in a place without a water source.
Hoot reached toward the flask. “May I?”
I smiled. Was he going to want to try everything? “You've had water before, haven't you?”
“In the Astral Realm, we do not… technically require sustenance. Not in the way of humans. Our bodies are sustained by cosmic energy and forces far beyond your comprehension. I have perhaps spoken with former Astral Custodians who have sampled the food and beverages of your realm, however, and find myself intrigued.”
His little beak clicked a few times as he stared at the flask, eyes wide with wonder and temptation.
I extended my arm toward him, offering the flask. “Knock yourself out.”
Hoot gulped noisily, then wiped his beak with closed eyes and a deep sigh. “Fascinating. Truly fascinating.” He looked down suddenly at Pebble, extending the flask toward the rock. “Would you like some, friend?”
Pebble politely declined with a soft wobble.
I took the flask from Hoot and stashed it in my slip space.
Next, I summoned my Common Iron Stealth Token. Unlike my other Wood Rank tokens, this one was a thicker, heavier coin that seemed to be made of iron. There was a symbol of a dagger on one face and a cloak on the back. I turned it over in my hand thoughtfully. This would be my first Iron reward. The first of many to come, I hoped.
The token granted me a small leather bag. Inside, I found a simple paper card. My heart skipped when I saw it was a cartoon picture of myself, complete with the name Brynn Stygos at the bottom.
I inspected it.
[Card of Duplication (Common) (Iron)] Place this card on the ground to summon a flawed mirror image of [Brynn Stygos]. The image will have limited ability to mimic the individual, but will likely not stand up to close scrutiny. The mirror image may wander slightly from the position in which it is deployed. Card will deteriorate with each use, rendering the duplicate more and more flawed until its eventual destruction.
Huh. That was interesting. The card itself could be useful in the right situation, I guessed. But I was also interested that it listed my Earth name.
When I checked my level and rank with Voidgaze, I still saw my name displayed as Seraphel. But this accomplishment recognized me as Brynn. Was it because Voidgaze had belonged to me when I became Seraphel?
There was no way to know, but I turned the card over in my hand, thinking how I hated to actually use this thing knowing I was damaging it with each use. The artwork was really cool, and part of me would have rather framed it and kept it around as a keepsake or a pseudo trophy to hang in my personal space.
Hoot was leaning in until his large eyes almost filled my vision completely. “Will you be demonstrating the card now, Dimensional Guild Master?”
“Uh, no,” I said, chuckling slightly. “I don’t know how many uses I’ll get before this thing get trashed, so I’m going to save it for the right time.”
Hoot leaned back, fidgeting with his fingers. “You're certain you don't wish to use it now?”
“Sorry, Hoot. This stuff has to help keep me alive. I would love to mess around with all of it, but I've got to be smart.”
“I see,” Hoot said. “Your world is truly so dangerous?”
I gave a wry shake of my head. “Yeah. Even more than I realized. But thankfully, I've got more loot still. One of the best ways to deal with the danger in this place is to show up prepared.”
“More loot still?” Hoot asked. “My colleagues told me 97% of looting rituals did not exceed four tokens. Dare I ask how many more tokens you have to claim?”
I checked my slip space, counting. “Five more.”
Hoot's beak fell open. He closed it, then nodded. “Let us proceed, then.”
I pulled out the first of my two Rare Dungeon Diver's Tokens. It vanished and a heavy blue sack fell down into my lap. I opened it up to find a full outfit inside, complete with an undershirt, underpants, pants, socks, and even a nice looking jacket to wear over it all. The colors ranged from gunmetal gray to black with silver buttons and some touches of gold threading on the pants and undershirt.
I stood, holding up everything to check its size against my body and found it all looked just right, even after I had grown taller and broader from advancing to Iron.
I inspected the items and found they all had the same description of “self-repair.”
Hell yes.
“Hmm,” Hoot said. “You have earned… clothing. Will this help you survive in your dangerous world?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “But I'm still really happy I got these.” I fought the urge to strip out of my filthy clothes and put them on. Self-repair or not, I didn't really want to change into them before I got a chance to bathe. There was also no guarantee Hoot wasn’t a pervert, and I wasn’t going to get naked in front of him. Besides, Pebble was way too young to see something like that.
“I do not understand your excitement,” he said.
“You would if you had to borrow somebody's pants because yours had nearly melted, burned, and been torn off after a few days of fighting. Dignity is important, Hoot. People like to look good. No matter how badass you are, it feels a little better to be presentable. Besides, this will save me a ton of money because I won't have to keep replacing my clothes every time I get back to town.”
Hoot looked down at his own blue-purple feathers and magical dust that occasionally drifted down from his body. It seemed as if he was taking in his own appearance. “Hmm. Yes. I suppose the more of your meaty exterior you cover, the less repulsive you are to look upon. Is this the cause of your happiness?”
“Something like that,” I said, mostly tuning him out as I admired the outfit. It matched a style I had seen a few people in Thrask wearing. The pants were somewhat tight, but with enough flexibility to be practical. The shirt was simple with a cross-stitch of laces to tighten it up in the center of my chest and short sleeves. The jacket was well-made, with thick black fabric that was tough, almost like leather but not as rigid. It was full of pockets, which was fantastic, as I liked stashing things on my body instead of my slip space when I could get away with it.
I carefully folded the outfit and set it aside, along with the silky black underwear I was very much looking forward to wearing.
I dusted my hands and then raised the second Rare Dungeon Diver's Token. When I claimed it, a thick leather bound book landed in my hands.
I inspected the book, finding the name of the item matched the embossed title on the cover. [Dungeoneer's Herbalism Guidebook (Rare) (Wood)] Open this within a dungeon for directions to the nearest, gatherable reagent up to (Rare) quality. Gathering the reagent will automatically create an entry in the guidebook detailing the reagent and its properties.
“Woah,” I said. “That would have been helpful in Beastden.”
“Interesting…” Hoot stroked his double chin. “And these reagents are for eating, I presume?”
“Not exactly,” I said. “I'm guessing to make potions or… things like potions? I still have a lot to learn about alchemy and what's possible. But I bet this could lead me to some otherwise hidden areas, too,” I said. “Like if herbs are behind a secret wall, or something, it would tell me how to get to them.”
“Shall we perform a test now?” Hoot asked.
“It only works inside dungeons, remember?”
“Then you will travel to the dungeon where you earned this. Test the item, and return to report your findings. I will wait here. You may leave the Pebble, if you wish. I can watch him and perhaps assign him some tasks. You can trust me to keep Master Pebble safe, I assure you.”
I raised an eyebrow at Hoot. Master Pebble?
“Even if I wanted to do that right now,” I said. “I kind of cleared that dungeon out. There's nothing left there. Unless you count emotional trauma and the smell of cooked rat.”
“Alone?” Hoot whispered.
“No. I had help,” I said. “A few friends were with me. Maybe I can bring them to the guild to meet you soon. Would you like that?”
Hoot gave a deep nod with his eyes closed. “I will allow you to bring these supposed friends. However, I must request you have them clean their feet before entering the guild hall. If they are as filthy as your feet, I fear the damage caused may go beyond repair.”
I glanced at my Abyss Walker Boots, which, I supposed could use a bit of a scrubbing. “Got it. I’ll make sure they wipe their feet or something. Anyway, three more tokens to go. The last two are Iron rank, but I'm honestly the most excited for this one. So… cross your feather fingers that it's cool.”
Hoot raised both hands, forming an “X” in front of his face with two feathers.
Not exactly what I meant, but I'd take it anyway.
When I claimed the Rare Ascension Trophy Token, a pair of wings almost too big for my small room floated down toward us as I stared up at them. They were a shiny and polished wood that was deep brown, like walnut, with streaks of light sapwood. A glittering gold strand of sparkling dust seemed to connect them to one another and bathed the trophy in shifting yellow light. I caught the wings and marveled at how light they were in my hands.
“Wow,” I whispered. The bug trophy was really nice looking, but these wings were on another level. Anybody who saw these in my personal space was going to notice them as soon as they stepped inside. There was a magical, almost sacred quality to them, as if they were a holy object of great importance.
[Wood Ascension Trophy] Symbolizes the user's ability to ascend beyond Wood Rank through sheer force of magical will, marking their vast potential. Mounting this trophy within your personal space or guild hall will apply the following boons at all times.
[Wooden Mask] Provides immunity to [Wood] Rank items of identification or tracking.
[Wood Aura] With a small expenditure of mana, you may exert your aura upon Wood ranked individuals—filling them temporarily with a sense of crushing dread.
I punched one fist up in the air, smiling broadly. An ability from a trophy? Damn that was awesome. I just had to figure out how to use it.
“This trophy pleases you, Dimensional Guild Master?”
“Hell yes it does. I mean… nobody has tried to identify me yet that I know of, but it's pretty badass to know they won't be able to now. And the implication is obvious. If I ascend to Silver without an Ascension Token, that'll probably mean getting an Iron set of wings with similar boons. I would guess they'd bump my immunity from being identified and tracked up to Iron level items. And I'd probably be able to terrify Irons, too. Maybe there would even be another new boon for the next rank.”
“You… wish to terrify people?” Hoot asked.
“Well, not specifically,” I admitted. “But it's a tool. And I'm sure I can find a way to take advantage of it here and there. That's a win, if you ask me.”
“A win,” Hoot whispered. “Hmm. I suppose it is. Will you wear these wooden mockeries of wings? I regret to inform you I have run a quick analysis. They will not provide enough lift for your dense body unless we remove your arms and legs. Oh, and we would need to hollow out your bones and carve away some muscle fiber from your torso.”
“It's like a decoration,” I said, running a finger appreciatively down the smooth wood. “You don’t wear trophies. Usually, at least. You put them up for display, and every time you look at them, you get to feel good about the things you’ve accomplished.”
“Hmmm,” Hoot said softly. “I sense you care deeply about these… useless objects.”
“I do. In a way, they remind me of… a place I came from. And when I think too hard about Eros and the fact that I’m here, these ‘useless objects’ bring me back to where I came from. They make me feel a kind of peace.”
“Peace. Yes. An emotion the warlike and barbaric human values highly.”
“Are you getting sarcastic with me, Hoot?”
“I am simply assessing your ability to detect sarcasm. It appears to be passable.”
I give the trophy another look as a thought occurs to me. “Will this trophy work for everybody in the guild if I hang it in the hall? Or just me?”
“This is a personal trophy,” Hoot said. “You would need to earn a Guild Trophy if you wished for the boons to apply to all members. However, you may hang this in the Guild Hall and retain the benefits for yourself, if you wish to display your prize where more could see it.”
“Nice.” I stroked my chin in thought. I'd have to think about that. I could put my bug trophy out there, too, just to spruce the place up. That wouldn't be too ostentatious, right?
“Speaking of which,” Hoot said. “Will you regularly bring guests to your personal space? I have been told by my colleagues that members of your realm often bring partners to their room for activities of a sexual nature. If so, I will make two suggestions. One, this room is quite small for any physical activities. Two, please ask any guests to bring offerings of food. My duties as Astral Custodian are quite taxing and I will humbly request sustenance. Have I mentioned they must wipe their feet?”
“Yeah, sure. Food and feet. Got it,” I said dismissively. “So I can bring non guild members to the guild hall?”
“Yes,” Hoot said. “They will be under special restrictions, of course, but they may view the majesty of your hall. They will not be able to participate or partake in any services your guild hall may grow to offer, unless exceptions are noted within the service.”
“Interesting,” I said, thinking about the possibilities. I wasn't sure what purpose bringing random people here would serve, but I was also only scratching the surface of what my time on Eros would be like. Maybe there was a future where I might need to host important people and try to impress them. Or… maybe I was only hoping I'd have an excuse to show off all the trophies I planned to earn in a larger, more grand space.
I moved on to the Rare Iron Dungeon Diver's Token. It was a heavy iron coin with a symbol of a cave on one side and a horned beast's head on the other.
A small chest thumped down on the wood in front of me when I claimed it.
I rubbed my hands together, then cracked it open and felt my eyes widen. It was full of precious looking stones and gems that glittered and sparkled in the dim light. Inspecting the chest told me nothing, but I was fairly certain the stones inside were worth money.
Admittedly, part of me didn't want to even think about selling them. I thought I could spend a few hours just digging my hands into the small chest and letting them all fall through my fingertips like a greedy pirate. With enough of these, I could even make myself a swimming pool of precious stones to swim in…
As amazing as that sounded, I knew I’d have to sell these beauties, though.
“Any idea how much this is all worth?” I asked Hoot.
Hoot was staring with wide eyes. “I cannot say what they are worth to residents of your realm. But perhaps I should keep one for assessment?”
I grinned. “I'll make you a deal. Let me figure out what these are worth, and then maybe we can talk about a trade. Maybe I give you one, and you require less materials for something on the guild bulletin board?”
Hoot's feathery brows lowered. “You wish to barter with the sacred tasks I have set out for your guild and your followers?”
“Yes?”
“Very well,” Hoot said, closing his eyes and sinking down into his bulk with resignation. “We may speak on this at a later time. However, I will require that blue stone. The very shiny one right there.” He pointed a long feathered finger.
“Once I see what it’s worth, we’ll see,” I said, smiling.
I closed the chest, feeling more excited about the prospect of selling these for a small fortune than any of my loot so far, with the exception of my trophy. I had already seen enough of Thrask to know there were very few things I couldn't buy here with the right amount of coin. Assuming these gemstones were worth several gold or maybe even dozens of gold, this reward might end up being one of the most helpful of the whole bunch.
I moved on to my Rare Iron Survival Token and claimed it. A small sack landed in my lap.
I reached inside and found a bracelet with white, circular metal beads around a stretchy string. I inspected it.
[Duelist's Band (Rare) (Iron)] Throwing this band on the ground will create a [Duelist's Circle].
[Duelist's Circle. Activatable ability. Duration: One minute. Cooldown: one hour] - If the user steps inside the Duelist's Circle with no more than one living being, the duel will begin. Once begun, neither the user nor the target may leave the Duelist's Circle until one has died or the duration has ended. No other living beings may enter the Duelist's Circle as long as it remains active. Summoned entities may be created within the ring, but may not pass the boundary. Enemies above your level are more likely to resist this ability.
“Woah,” I said. “That could be pretty useful, but I could also imagine getting myself into trouble with it.”
“Why would you wish to lock yourself into a circle with an enemy?” Hoot asked. “I do not see the purpose.”
“Well…” I said, thinking aloud. “Since nobody else can get in, I could use it to buy myself a minute in a fight where I'm overwhelmed. If I dueled the weakest enemy in a large group, for example… I could protect myself from everybody else while I focused on them, or maybe use the calm to heal up. On the other hand, I could focus on the toughest opponent first, trying to take them down without getting overwhelmed by others. But it does sound like it won't activate unless it's just me and one other inside the circle. So there would be some finesse to getting it to work in a crazy fight.”
“Hmm,” Hoot said. “Shall we try it?”
“You want to enter a Duelist's Circle with me, Hoot?”
“Of course. My observations can be added to the guild annals, if useful.”
I shrugged. “Alright. I don't see why not. Let's just… step into the Guild Hall so we have more space.”
Hoot and Pebble followed me into the hall.
My boots echoed in the large, empty hall full of parallel pillars. I grinned as I took in the space again, hardly able to believe this was my own fledgling guild hall. I still couldn't wait to start seeing how much I could build the place out with a little effort. “Okay,” I said. “Hoot can stand here. Pebble, you can stand between us.”
Everybody took up positions. “I want to see what happens when I try to use it with three people inside. Well… three beings, assuming Pebble counts as a living being. No offense, Pebble.”
He didn't seem to take any.
I held the bracelet between my thumb and forefinger, then prodded it with mana. Touching it with mana seemed to help me understand how to activate the ability. With a flick of my wrist, I launched it upward. Once airborne, the bracelet rapidly expanded until it was at least ten feet from end to end, creating a circle of spaced out white metal beads that encircled our group and landed with a clatter. The bracelet stayed in place, but nothing seemed to happen.
“Is it working?” I asked. I approached the edge and cautiously tried to reach my toe over the bracelet. I was able to with no resistance. “Okay, Pebble, can you roll out of the circle?”
Pebble obeyed. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the bracelet lit with white fire that rose up in a full wall from floor to ceiling, caging me in with Hoot.
I tried to push my toe across the barrier again a faint yellow barrier of magic rippled into view like disturbed water. No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t make it budge.
“Fascinating,” Hoot whispered, rotating his head 360 degrees to take it all in.
The tooltip said I would be able to summon creatures once within the circle, so I quickly unsummoned Pebble and created him again in front of me. He flashed into existence again, apparently unbothered by the experience.
That was good to know. So I could still turn a fight in this thing into a two-on-one or even a three-on-one with the help of my new Awaken Mana ability.
“Hmm,” I said, studying the gently humming magical barrier. “I wonder if my boots would let me get out of here.” I activated Abyssal Step, briefly glimpsing the disorienting soup of space and floating personal spaces in every direction beyond the Guild Hall.
With one quick step, I was able to pass through the barrier without resistance. The ability ended and my vision returned to normal once I was on the outside of the Duelist's Circle.
“Dimensional Guild Master?” Hoot called from inside. “I believe your item is defective. You appear to have passed through the impassable barrier.”
“Yeah, but that's a good thing,” I said. “It means I can trap people in there for a minute if I don't mind using my boots, too. It'll be a nice little trick, or just a backup plan in case I regret trapping myself in with somebody I can't handle.”
Hoot stayed quiet until the barrier finally flickered and lowered itself. The bracelet vanished from the ground and reappeared on my wrist. Nice. That meant I could leave it behind in a hurry and not worry about losing it.
“Quite interesting,” Hoot said, more to himself than to me. “I believe you still have one more token, yes?”
“That's right,” I said. My heart was already pounding because I knew what was coming, and damn was I excited about it. “We saved the best for last, Hoot. It's an Epic Lone Dungeon Diver's Token.”
Hoot rubbed his feathery palms together. “How exciting. Do you think it will be more food? Could we sample it this time, perhaps?”
“I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's not going to be food. If it is, it had better be magical food that makes me grow wings or a tail or something.”
Hoot narrowed his large eyes. “I can understand why you would wish for wings… but a tail?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. A tail would be cool, but probably not worth an epic token.”
“Why would you wish for a tail…” he muttered the question as I opened the door to my personal space.
Hoot rushed inside, cramming himself into the corner. Pebble followed after him.
I closed the door and pulled out the token. “Alright,” I said. “Here we go…”
Whatever came from an epic token earned solo in a dungeon, I knew it would be something special. Possibly even better than a tail.
Comments
Mikki Phoenix
"mostly tuning him out as I admired the outfit. It mostly matched" -- duplication of "mostly" sounds a bit odd
Ben Bass
TYFTC! Aww you tease! I do love how Hoot is interested in food and shiny things. Nope definitely not a bird, but an inter-dimensional warder, now clean your shoes and don’t track mud into the guild hall or you will feel the wrath of Hoot! I do like the loot so far, and the first thing Brynn does with the dueling circle is find out how to break it. I can also see him using it to help protect himself and an ally for healing and a break from a fight if needed.
