As the list went on and on about different ways someone could try their luck by getting more for less from Chipper, every single one would result in an increasingly horrible end for the perpetrator. There was even a paragraph about trying to lure the chipmunk outside the dungeon. If you managed to do so, a demon would arrive and slaughter you on the spot.. "Little Chipper, did you write up all these warnings?" Hidden couldn't help but ask while pointing at the demon paragraph.
Taking a glance behind himself at which sign Hidden was pointing at, Chipper couldn't help but feel a cold breeze blow past his neckline. 'HOW DOES HE KNOW!?', Chipper was mentally screeching his lungs out. Every single detail so far had been described in advance by that abominable demon. "This Chipper did not write a single sign on this wall." Shaking his head back and forth, he continued. "The dungeon said it was unfair to summon me as a chipmunk, so it is helping this Chipper with safety troubles."
"So, is this demon sign real? If someone were to pick you up and bring you away, a demon would arrive to save you?" Somewhat unable to believe what the sign says, Hidden widened her eyes in disbelief. Glancing back at the mercenaries that were rummaging through Billy and co's things for foodstuffs, she wanted to test if the signs were true. 'These guys are naught but hired help. Might aswell ascertain what this dungeon is about with their lives.'
Walking back to the camp where the food was almost ready, she brought the men back to the dungeon and showed them the signs. "Anyone that volunteers to try out the validity of the dungeon's claims will get paid double once we return!" Hidden proclaimed. Immedietly every member of the party raised their hands. Picking out two especially annoying fellows, she walked up and patted Chippers head some more. "Don't be afraid, even if the dungeon doesn't do what it says, you won't come to harm."
Eyes widening with tears almost bursting out, Chipper screamed; "You can't take me away, please don't take me away!" Noticing that the chipmunk was almost crying from the prospect of leaving the dungeon, Hidden didn't know what do to. A scrawny looking man that looked as if his body was made of bamboo walked up and pulled up Chipper by the neck. "Little rat, this master doesn't care what you think. Let's take a look if that demon will pop up and save you.."
As the man was snickering and walking outside of the dungeon, Chipper started screaming and crying earpearcingly. The collar around his neck was causing him so much pain that he couldn't formulate a single clear thought. If he wasn't summoned outside the dungeon by Gill, this damned sensation would come back with a vengeance. Hidden couldn't bear listening to the furry little thing being so 'sad'. If possible, she wanted to cuddle the creature, not torture its mind like this.
When the mercenary was two steps outside the dungeon with Chipper, the portal at the back of the 'store' started pulsating. Hidden and the rest of the mercenaries looked vigilantly at what would happen next. First, two large black horns came out of the portal. Then a menacing, vicious and roaring red face came next. As one leg stepped out of the portal, it bulged with muscle like the taughtest of springs
A red flash blitzed its way past the group. It was so fast that it couldn't register in their minds that something had passed them if it wasn't for the passing wind. A roar that sounded like a nether creature from the depths of hell came about, shaking the entire dungeon and caused their eardrums to tingle. As the party of 9 fell to the ground holding their ears, Chipper stopped screaming and crying. Being cradled in Gill's hands, he couldn't help but feel inexplicably safe.
The man that took Chipper outside the dungeon was reduced to a puddle of blood with nothing left that could identify who he was. Since Gill was supposed to be a mindless dungeon enforcer, he immedietly quieted down once he placed Chipper back on the store desk. Acting as if he couldn't see the 9 terrified fellows holding their ears on the ground, he walked back into the portal as if nothing happened.
Watching dazedly as Gill walked past them into the portal as if nothing was wrong, Hidden couldn't help but tremble. This dungeon kept its words to a T! Once the punishment had been enacted, all was well. Disturbingly well, to be honest. Just thinking about the store being filled with customers, and suddenly hearing a stiffled 'yelp!' coming from Chipper out of nowhere. Then, the very next instant, a world shaking roar from a demon would follow - leaving everyone on the floor. If you're not ready, you could turn deaf if not scared to death!
Looking at the store desk where the chipmunk was sitting with a tearstained face, Hidden's heart ached. Even though the dungeons of the world are the enemies of civilization, not once had a dungeon told a lie. Standing back up while varily glancing at the portal, she walked up to Chipper and patted him on the head while stroking his back. "Little Chipper, don't be sad, we won't try to take you away from your home again."
Staring back with dazed eyes at the woman that was petting himself, he inwardly thought 'I wish you could take me away!' Since there was no point entertaining such thoughts, unless he wanted to feel that excruticating pain again, he reminded himself to stick to the script.
"Miss human, this Chipper only wants to buy things with sparkly coins.." Forcing himself to think about escaping the dungeon to feel some pain from the collar in order to make his act believable, he sniffled loudly with tears streaming; "I just want to be strong, and not be bullied anymore!"
Listening to the heartfelt cries of the chipmunk, Hidden almost started tearing up herself. 'The world is so unfair, forcing a little chipmunk through such hardships.' Looking back up at the signs, she felt that forcing the men to try out another punishment was unnescescary. "You guys, we don't have to test the signs anymore. Go back to your duties."
The men looked at eachother before one stepped out and asked, "Captain, about the double payment, is it still valid if we try out another signage and survive?" All of the mercenaries looked at Hidden with expectation. Some of those punishments were clearly survivable. The poison one seems especially easy, simply drink an antidote before you steal anything and all will be well.
"Are you guys sure you want to give it a try? Not to mention warning you, everything is clearly written what you'll suffer once the deed is done." Hidden said as she pointed a finger at the signs. "Who knows what type of poison it will be? Who can tell me the type of curse? What if the dungeon amputates your family jewels?" As she was mentioning possible scenarios in line with the punishments, Gill couldn't help but take some notes. These were spectacular ideas, might as well put them to good use.
None of the men shrank back from the endeavour. It's not every day you get to take such a gamble for great riches. A very robust man stepped forth, walking up to the cabinet Chipper had pulled a coin from earlier. Before he opened it up, he grabbed his pouch and pulled up a black colored bottle. Emptying its contents in his mouth, he swallowed before shivering a little. "This medication always tastes horrible, but it has never failed me before when it comes to poison!"
As the mercenary was doing his preparations, Gill was fiddling with his dungeon settings aswell. He put the entire gas cloud from the pitfall trap inside the cabinet. Since the dungeon hadn't failed him so far, a measly antidote shouldn't be able to counter his trait point just like that. One trait points worth of poison means an entire dungeon poisonous enough to kill a grown man without any antidotes. Compress all of that into the size of a desk cabinet and you'll get a sickening dosage.
The man stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the cabinets. As he pulled it open, nothing happened. The other 8 in the party couldn't help but hold their breath while taking steps towards the outside. Looking at the fellow that seemed to be standing there frozen, they noticed that his eyes had glazed over. It was as if his soul left his body. Approximately two seconds later, the mans eyes were flooding with tears.
The hair on his head started falling off while the hand that held the cabinet door was visibly having flesh dissolve into green puss. The tears flowing from his eyes stopped being just water and turned into lines of blood. His eyes were melting inside his skull, with his chattering teeth falling out one by one. After 30 seconds of this morbid spectacle, the only thing left standing was his clothed skeleton. The rest of his body had turned into greenish-goo on the floor.
The rest of the 8 had rushed outside the very second they noticed something was wrong with the guy. As they looked back inside the dungeon, they couldn't help but puke their bowels out. The skeleton was still standing there with its head tilted down to look inside the cabinet. As everyone recovered from the nightmarish sight, a muscular red skinned hand popped out of the portal with a stick clenched in its oversized fist. With a wave of the Apprentice Necromancer Wand, the skeleton raised its head.
After just a moment, the skeleton turned and looked at its 8 companions. Openings its mouth wide in a soundless scream, it started walking towards them as if it wanted their help with something. Bones clattering on the pavement, the party staggered backwards in horror. Just a minute ago, this skeleton was their fellow companion!
Gill clapped his hands through the portal, making the skeleton freeze on the spot. As if struggling against something, it gave up and started walking towards the portal. As the red hands disappeared inside, the skeleton followed suit and everything returned to calmness. Gill couldn't help but feel unnerved by the sight from that concentrated poison. It was several hundred times stronger than he expected. Good thing the skeleton could still be reanimated and be added to his workforce. 30 free gold/hour, here we go!
"That antidote seemed to work pretty well, he survived 30 seconds instead of just 5 like the Bear did!" The party looked around until they spotted Chipper walking out of the portal. The moment that the mercenary was preparing to open the cabinet, he knew he couldn't stick around and ran to hide next to Gill. "The dungeon isn't known to cut corners, this Chipper knows. It is better to go for the long haul according to the rules!"
Appalled that the so-called 'well working antidote' still left them to rot on the spot, they felt that rotting in 5 seconds would be preferable to 30 seconds. In fact, instant death would be the optimal choice. That guy that went up and melted was clearly feeling the entire process. Even worse, that demon from before will clearly take your corpse and soul away to do who knows what! Looking over the other types of punishment on the signs, they couldn't help but shrink their necks.
Hidden couldn't help but feel fearful of the entire concept of this dungeon. So far, two in their party died just to confirm something that didn't need confirming. Dungeons are part of the world, just like grass is green and the sky is blue - a dungeon is what it is. There can't be falsehoods in a force of nature.
Looking at Chipper that tapped his feet to jump back up on the desk without fear, Hidden stepped inside the dungeon again to look over the other signs. This was supposed to be a dungeon store, perhaps there was some pretty good deals to be made here. As she saw the prices, she couldn't help but gasp. For a standard issue copper armament that couldn't be more common and sold for 5 gold coins in the outside world could be sold to the dungeon for a full 25! Five times the value from a simple exchange!
Noticing the incredulous look on Hidden's face, Chipper couldn't help but point out, "Right now both this Chipper and my dungeon are newborn and barely a few days old. We only accept two trades at this moment, copper and leather armaments for gold coins!"
Looking over Hidden that seemed to be pondering about the future, one of the mercenaries came to notify her that the meal was prepared and ready for consumption. Nodding asbentmindedly, she turned around walked into the camp.
Chipper couldn't help but reflect on Gill's instructions from before and felt a tinge of admiration. Following this demons guidelines and everything would fall into place by itself.
"Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service and bring their friends back with them." Gill scratched Chipper on the head, "And that's where you come in."