Raising Wonders

Chapter 15: Dungeon (Part 1)

"You are a good man Ron," Johannes patted him on the shoulder. "I wish you well."

"Thank you." Though the two split up amicably, Ron couldn't help feel that something wasn't quite right.

**

"Are you sure it's okay for me to come as well?" Chloe asked as Mask held her. The two along with the Handler were currently beneath the city, their goal, the dungeon. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"To an extent yes," Mask smiled. "This dungeon however is very young. These past four days we haven't just been fooling around with the council but also taking steps to inspect the dungeon."

The Handler nodded, "Any good adventurer would investigate a dungeon beforehand, especially if it's an unknown one. There are a few tests to see how dangerous it could be you can do while outside it. We should be fine."

"And besides," Mask continued. "When we first met, you wanted to see a dungeon yourself. This is the perfect chance to. You may never be able to see a dungeon core again. In most dungeons, the cores are very well hidden or too risky to reach."

"I won't be a bother will I?" Chloe asked to make sure.

"Not at all," Mask laughed. "There's also something I want to test out with your help. For now, just enjoy the ambiance."

"It's kind of creepy and cold...," Chloe remarked. The underground of Toren had never been greatly cared for and recently it was almost entire neglected. The construction however was incredible. "It's amazing though. I can't believe they all used to live underground."

"You should see the Dwarven Labyrinth Artaso. The architecture here is a mimic of theirs. Though Toren's underground does have its own charms." Mask pointed to the walls, "The stone blocks are carved directly from the stone that existed in its place. Most aren't even blocks at all and just decoration."

"How far down are we going?"

The Handler answered, "Toren's underground city, at its deepest point is 4 floors. At least that's what their maps say. From what I could tell the dungeon has already changed that."

"What do you mean changed?" Chloe looked at her full of curiosity.

"You'll see," the Handler simply smiled.

After several more flights of steps and traversing the old stone corridors, Chloe suddenly felt a jolt go through her body. Something had changed. She looked back. They had just entered a new passage, their surrounds however were the same. A chill however started to tickle her skin.

"So you can feel it Chloe," Mask observed from her movements.

"We entered the dungeon didn't we?" Chloe couldn't be sure but her senses were alert, as if warning her that danger was coming.

"We did indeed."

"Just like that?" she couldn't help be both marvelled and disappointed. "I thought there would be a bigger entrance, or a door...."

Mask laughed, "Those are usually only made after a dungeon is discovered. Growing dungeons try to blend in, at least in most cases."

"Wait, is that snow?" Chloe could barely believe what she was seeing. A small amount, sitting in the corners and along the wall. "How? No, is it the dungeon?"

"Yep," the Handler bent down and scooped up a ball before giving it to Chloe. "Dungeons aren't inanimate, they grow and are influenced. This one has the heart of a Winter Archon as its core. The further we go, the colder and the more snow we'll see."

"Will there be monsters as well?" Chloe asked as she inspected the seemingly normal snow.

"Not yet," the Handler answered. "It hasn't quite reached that stage. Once it does however, it'll be an official dungeon and need to either be destroyed or maintained."

"That's what the City Lord wanted, isn't it? If the city had a dungeon people would come from all over."

"He did...," Mask spoke slowly, "but the way he was going about it was wrong. Dungeons grow by absorbing not just mana from the dead, but also powerful emotions. He purposefully caused the city strife to make it grow faster."

"But wouldn't happy emotions work as well?"

The Handler scoffed, "Chloe, which do you think is easier, to give a city happiness or despair?"

"Ah...," she closed her mouth.

"It's a lot easier to get used to happiness compared to tough times and there's an almost limitless amount of things you can make worse for someone," the Handler's expression loosened, as if she was thinking about somewhere else. "Do it well, and just when someone thinks it couldn't get any worse, you crush their small a tiny bit more. The opposite... giving someone more when they already have plenty, it can't even come close."

"Handler, you're scaring her," Mask said simply.

She snapped back to reality, smiling as if what she had said was nothing, "Anyway this crystal says we go this way." She held up the crystal which shone a light pointing down the passage.

As they continued to walk, Chloe whispered to Mask, "Is Auntie okay?"

Mask couldn't help smirk, "She's fine. We've all been through tough times, she's been through it more than others. Her heart however never broke."

"I can hear you," the Handler turned and frowned. "If you want to talk about me without me knowing you're going to need to learn telepathy, and even then I could probably tell."

"I was just about to say what inspiration you could be to young Chloe."

"Damn right I could be," she pointed to herself proudly and looked to Chloe. "If you end up as half as fine as I am then you'll do well for yourself."

"Watch it Chloe, she may have a pretty face but she's done worse things than I have."

The Handler shrugged, "Well he's not wrong. It comes with the job. Mind you I've done plenty of good things as well. As has Arten."

Chloe laughed, enjoying their light hearted banter, "You're both amazing. If I could grow up to be anything like either of you I'd be blessed."

Mask jolted Chloe in his arms, "Don't aim to be like us, be better than us."

"Ha ha I'll try," she smiled. Never could she have expected that her first dungeon experience would be like this.