Veloren

Chapter 42.7: Underground Hot Spring VI (EXTRA)

With Windie at the front, it leads the group back to the hot springs chamber where they find Tatsuo and Mr. Springbottom.

Sharon: Hey look! It's Tatsuo!

Victor looks around the area with torn pieces Mr. Springbottom's lodging littered everywhere.

Victor: Woah...! What happened over here...? – He says startled at seeing the newfound wreckage of the place.

Tatsuo notices the group and greets them, "you guys are here."

Sharon: You...Don't sound that surprised at seeing us...

Tatsuo: I heard and smelled you guys coming here. How'd you all even know I was here?

Darren and Victor points at Windie.

Victor: This thing found us when we were both here, and led them (Sharon and co.) to me. It then took us to you after we all heard a really loud yell.

Darren: Your yell was so loud that it knocked it (Windie) out unconscious for a bit...

Sharon: Yeah, was that you who made that yell...?

Tatsuo confirms, "Yeah, it was me."

Sharon: Well...It did help us find you...But it was super loud, I thought my ears were going to explode! Why did you do that?

Tatsuo: I was fighting a monster.

Victor interjects – "Hold on...Did it look like a huge clump of dirt and vines, with a rock mask...?"

Tatsuo: Ah, yeah. That sounds like it.

Victor: What!? That thing still isn't dead yet...?! – He exclaims, baffled by the monster's persistence.

Darren: So...Where is it now...?

Tatsuo:Oh, I killed it. Turns out the hot springs here are its weakness. So I just dumped it in one of the ponds. It just melted with the water.

Hearing how casual Tatsuo was in eliminating the threat, the group says nothing for a moment.

Victor: Wow...So you just took that thing out by yourself...Huh...

Tatsuo: Yep. Did you guys fight it too?

Victor's eyes widened briefly, surprised that Tatsuo knew about their encounter with the monster.

Victor: Did you...Also know that through your smell or something...?

Tatsuo: Nope. I didn't smell anything from you guys on it. Earlier when we were fighting at the area above us, it seemed like it was trying to recover itself.

Upon hearing Tatsuo, some of the group question to themselves how Tatsuo wasn't able to discern their scent from the monster; however Queenie comes to a conjecture that it must be because of the Moss Goliath's ability to freely reconstruct itself. If it reformed its body after they've fought, none of their scents would linger on it. For Victor, however, this discrepancy is quickly ignored after hearing Tatsuo talking about fighting above them.

Victor lifts his head up to gaze directly at the gleaming light atop them, "Above us...?"

Victor: You mean...Up there...?! How...?! Did you climb out of this hole...?!

Tatsuo: Yeah. Also, it turns out that climbing out from here doesn't lead to the outside like we thought.

Victor: Huh?! Then what is that bright light then?! Is that not sunlight...?!

"I can attest that isn't the sun...I can feel an enormous amount of magic emanating from it...The Moss Goliath could benefit more than just recovery with it...It's possible this was partly how it evolved if it leeched off of this magic source periodically...", Queenie says while also looking up at the illuminated ceiling.