Life in the Dungeons is complicated. Just like Dungeons themself, the life inside of them can vary drastically to one another.
Y/n already faced a Trap Dungeon before. In that one, the day never ended. There was no sun and all was shrouded in a cloak of dim light. The only living things were the Grimm and water was limited.
All in all that Dungeon was a hostile enviorment, even without the Grimm.
But this Dungeon was different. Sure it was of a way higher Rank to the one before so differences where expected. However so far only the Grimm were making life hard.
Around the entire city, which acording to Huginn and Muninn was atleast 50 times the size of Vale, wells filled with safely drinkable water were around every fifth group of buildings. Near those well there are market stalls filled with food. Apples, cherries, fish, bread and meat, all as fresh as the day they were brought into the city.
One of the biggest things special about this Dungeon was the passing of time. While there was a day-night-cycle it seemed to repeat normally at first, but on the third day the first signs were found. Everyone knows that fresh fish can not stay like that after three days. On the fifth day it became even clearer. All the fish in all the market stalls the group found was perfectly fresh and edible.
Thanks to both Y/ns One-Eyed skill, which can show the freshness of something edible, and Lavendar's Identify Poison spell, it was proven that food does not spoil or atleast spoils far, far slower.
Not that food or drink would become a problem anytime soon. Y/ns summons had that covered, if you are fine with being a little bit drunk at all times that is.
However just how endless the rations seemed so were the Grimm. Even the Saintess herself has already slain a few hundred Grimm. Qrow and Y/n have done what every boy will do at some point in time when stuck in such a situation. They turned it into a competition on who can slay more Grimm.
Sadly Y/ns summons did not count so he couldnt just summon his Drengr and let them win the competition for him.
On the seventh day Huginn finally spotted something that could be the Boss room. It was a giant church a few kilometers to the east of their current position and so they began making their way towards their goal.
Y/n: "How much time do you guys think has passed on the outside?" Y/n asked while cleaving another Undead apart. He had lost the hesitation he first had upon seeing the humanlike creatures long ago.
Lavendar: "It is impossible to tell Sir Schwarz." The boy sighed as he ripped out his axe from the skull of the girl size Undead he just killed. It still felt off killing these Grimm. They were too human like. They saw men, women, children of all ages, both faunus and humans alike. The Grimm looked like those the four had sworn to protect and so they all felt like they had failed.
Y/n: "You know after the ploy of being accused of murdering the King's son I really wished to have some down time." None of this companions looked at him, but he noticed the subtle hints of them listening to what he had to say. "Is being a S-Rank Hero always so... restless? Ever since I got this rank I was jumping from Quest to Quest and if not I somehow still manage to get my freetime taken away from me. My root must be one of the biggest there is."
Qrow: "Your what now?"
Y/n: "Every persons past, present and future are constantly carved into the roots of Yggdrasil by the norns. They see what happened, happens and will happen and make sure it is written down. The moment the runes are carved into the World Tree the fate has been sealed."
Cobaltinia: "Then wouldn't having a big root mean that your life will be long?"
Y/n: "That or it will be filled to the brim with events interesting enough for them to need to be carved. It does not matter, once we are out of here I will take at least a month off of doing Quests. Not that I need the money anyway." It was true, while the others did not care for the few dropped Copper Lien each Undead left behind, Y/n made sure to collect them whenever possible.
Sure 2 Copper are not much, but if you are killing them by the dozens at once things can add up quickly. In his head Y/n was praying for the person that had to count them once he brought them in to be exchanged.
They continued making their way towards the church, mostly sticking to the rooftops and only engaging the Undead if they had to cross a road.
Once night fell upon them they would take shelter in one of the buildings. Sitting around the fireplace Qrow, Cobaltinia and Lavendar would tell Y/n of the Quests and Dungeon they had cleared, the Grimm they had faced and the things they had learned. What interested the boy the most was the strange resource called Dust (Info added to Info chapter).
Dust could only be fund in Dungeons, and thinking back Y/n had actually already seen some back when he and his friends cleared the Dungeon below their Guildhall. The strange glowing crystals in the bossroom could only have been Dust. The crystals are highly versatile due to being pure condensed magic energy created along with the rest of the Dungeon. While it does come in different types like fire, water, air and stone, the most common type is the Neutral Dust.
Ever since its discovery Dust had become a vital part in the creation of Magic Items. The Bags of Holding they carried where created using Dust as a form of reserviour of Arcana, supplying a spell that created the extra dimensional storage room the Bag contained.
Y/n: "What would happen if someone where to try to consume a Dust crystal?" Y/n asked interested.
Cobaltinia: "Those that have Arcana running through their bodies die quickly from the sudden overcharge of their Arcana-veins. The fine network in their bodies would burst and release all of the energy into the rest of the body that can not handle the energy. Ki and Focus can suffer of a variety of drawbacks, ranging from the same things happening to them as to the Arcana users to simply falling into and endless slumber upon frying their brains."
Lavendar: "Many poor souls have found their ways to the Gods due to the experiments of our ancestors."
Y/n: "So it mainly affects the Energy-veins of the body?"
Qrow: "I don't like there this is going. Listen kiddo I know you are a special case with not having a class and all, but Dust is not something one should mess with. Even the most profecient Artificiers and Magic-smiths have been blown to bits due to a small mishap while working with Dust." Qrow warned. Raising his hands in surrender Y/n got up from his seat.
Y/n: "This was just a thought, no need to worry. I will go and keep watch, you can go rest." The others agreed and went to get some sleep. Meanwhile Y/n looked up towards the sky, he did that every night he had watch duty. He never really cared for the stars, sure he found them interesting back when he was younger, but rather quickly he decided the sparkling dots in the sky were not important to him. Y/n did not know the names of the different starsigns and only faintly remembers that one specific star that always was the first to be visible.
For the past few days however he took up stargazing. It was relaxing even with the moans and groans coming from the Undead. He wondered what lies past the sky, past the clouds. What are these sparkling dots, where are they? All these questions have come to mind, but will most likely never be answered.
In the Norse Sagas it is said that the sky is the inside of Ymirs skull and the clouds are its brain. But not once have the stars been said to be any part of Ymir. Could they simply be cracks in the giant's skull, through which the light shines? Or maybe they are the memories and thoughts of Ymir?
Y/n sat up and turned his gaze downwards towards the horizon. There almost outside of his range of vision he could see the golden cross that stood proud upon the churches highest tower. He could see it because for some reason it glowed as if it was a piece of metal fresh out of his forge.
Or it was the light of Christ. Y/n thought jokingly. Only a few Gods could actually care about Dungeons. Loki was one of them. The God of Darkness another, but Jesus and his father would not care for what goes on in these realms of death and darkness.
Looking down further Y/n looked at the Undead that had gathered around the building he sat on. They were being repelled by a nearly invisible bubble. The Saintess' Sanctuary spell. However their half rotten brains did not process it and so they still tried getting in. They pushed and scratched on the holy shield but could not do anything to it.
Getting up from his sitting position Y/n called upon Fenrir who sat down next to him happily getting his head patted.
Y/n: "Lets deliver these souls to your sister shall we?"
Fenrir: "She will be happy to embrace them." The Wolf answered before he and Y/n jumped down and rushed into the mass of Grimm.
Out of all his Summons Y/n still enjoyed fighting alongside Fenrir the most. Sure Hugin and Munin were a close second, but it felt better having a giant wolf rip apart a Grimm while simultanously chopping of anothers head. Jormungandr was more suited to fight a single large enemy and the rest were all more suited to aid Y/n outside of a fight. His Drengr he had yet to fight alongside with ever since the night he first summoned them.
It was weird, he wanted to call them, but it felt wrong. They were meant to feast and celebrate until Odin leads them into the final war and not get called upon by a teenager. Also Y/n was still not as ready to see his parents again as he thought. Even after having talked to them in Valhalla he just can't get himself to face them again. In his eyes he had failed them, both by not arriving earlier and by not fully avenging their deaths. Killing the culprits was a big part in his vengance but as long as people still try to summon Salem his work was not other and his parents were not avenged.
Slaying Grimm with Fenrir had become akin to a dance. With practiced steps Y/n weaved his way through the mass of Grimm, dodged the arms grabbing for him and killing those that he had decided would die first. All the while Fenrir would constantly change size to allow for impressive attacks followed by quick dodges. They did not need to comunicate their intents or positions, far too many fights together have forged them into a strong team.
And once Y/n decided his other summons deserved to spill their fair amount of Grimm blood the deadly dance became a show worthy for a king. A gruesome spectacle akin to the blood fights in the Great Arena in Mistral. But instead of slaves, prisoners or payed warriors in need of some coin, it was a single Hero doing his job.
The sky above sparkled like a treasure chest as the floor below slowly got covered by black dust.
That is it for this chapter, I hope you liked it even if it was a less action filled one.
Wolfy out.