The first thing I do after leaving the dungeon is try to find the next one. The sun above is well on its way toward the horizon and I want to try and get as much done today as we can.
Expanding my senses, I feel my soul being pulled in two directions. One to the northwest and another further northwest. However, I can't help but feel my skin prickle at the northwestern-most dungeon. This immediately tells me what type of dungeon it is.
What makes choosing the Vast Plain unique as a starting area is that it contains one of each type of dungeon. Among the eight types of dungeons, there are three that will cause a particular reaction. An angel dungeon would cause feelings of peace and a stronger attraction toward it, a drake dungeon would make me feel intimidated, and a demon dungeon inspires dread and fear.
As such, the dungeon further to the west is likely a demon dungeon. I consider heading toward it. Part of the reason those dungeons elicit more of a reaction from a Soulemer is due to their possessing higher quality resources than other dungeons.
However, angel, demon, and dragon are considered the highest difficulty of dungeons. The polar opposite of the less difficult beast and bird dungeons. Having already cleared two dungeons, I have some confidence in our ability to challenge them, but…Better safe than sorry.
After checking if Rosabel was ready, we head toward the other dungeon.
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Eventually, we come upon a pair of iron doors with the image of an insect sitting on a flower - indicating this as a nature dungeon.
Swallowing heavily, I call for a brief rest and pull-out a [Bag of Water] for Rosabel and me.
Rosabel seems confused by the change in refreshment. She hesitantly bites into the hard nozzle to begin drinking and a look of dissatisfaction crosses her face.
Meanwhile, I'm quite pleased with my drink. However, I'm mildly concerned over this coming dungeon.
Had I chosen Jungle Forest as my starting point, I'd have had four dungeons in my area - two plant and two insect dungeons. But here I have the one nature dungeon that combines the two types. That means three different kinds of enemies are waiting inside. The insects should be slow and not very strong at this stage, but the plant-based enemies - while possibly the weakest of any enemy - are by far the trickiest. This arguably makes this dungeon the fourth hardest of those I could encounter.
Rosabel brings me her finished [Used bag] and I tuck away it and mine away before making our way toward the iron doors.
Pushing the doors open, the scenery around us changes. The doors vanish and the grassy plains is replaced by trees. Though not particularly dense, we are undoubtedly in a forest. Not needing to say a word, we begin walking forward.
Before long, we encounter our first enemy - a goblin. It wasn't all that different from any other goblin we've encountered in other dungeons. Its skin was a dark green and its eyes seemed more aware - less feral - than the others. But otherwise, there wasn't anything to note about it. It seemed cautious of us.
Rosabel charged forward and the goblin was unable to react as she swung her club - killing it.
It may have been my imagination, but Rosabel seemed somewhat vindictive when she attacked just now. Maybe she isn't over what happened in the last dungeon. Is it wrong that I find her acting petulantly about this adorable? Oh well, I walk over to collect the items.
[Goblin's Ear] is a given, but what else appears is a unit of [White Wood]. Resembling a log as thick as two of my arms together and just as long, it is covered in light brown bark but the interior is a chalky white.
Storing the [White Wood], I debate on how to use the [Goblin's Ear]. As long as Rosabel and I work together, I would think it's best to just keep improving her physical ability. However, we won't always be together. Eventually, she'll need to be able to operate more independently.
Thinking back to the previous dungeon where we faced off against the slow bird and goblin, it left me feeling that she was too simple-minded. Right now was fine, but down the line, it could be a problem.
Thinking this far, I decide to use the [Goblin's Ear] to increase her intelligence.
Intelligence and wisdom are both vague and difficult to measure. But as I understand it, intelligence reflects memory and mental processing while wisdom has to do with experience, critical thinking, innovation, etc. Intelligence is emotionless logic while wisdom is the bridge between reason and emotion - the application of knowledge.
Pressing forward, we encountered two more goblins and deal with them just as easily. Both dropped [Goblin's Ear] and [White Wood]. Again, I take the liberty of storing the wood resource and use the [Goblin's Ear]s to improve Rosabel's wisdom and then her strength.
It is after this that we find an enemy that is not so easily beaten. A 'Confused Insect'. These enemies resembled giant beetles with a dark green carapace that come up to Rosabel's chest.
Watching it skitter around aimlessly, I warn, "Be careful, these enemies have a hard shell that might be hard to crack."
Rosabel nods in understanding before charging in. The insect seems to notice her but does nothing as she raises her club to deliver a hard blow that severely cracks its carapace.
However, the insect does not die. Instead, it now focuses on Rosabel and scurries away as she tries to attack again. Its unusual movement throws her off and she is slow to react as it suddenly rushes in and bites into her side.
Struggling with it, Rosabel manages to take her club in both hands and give a strong upswing that makes the insect let go. While it tries to shake off her attack, she follows up with another downward strike that completely destroys its exoskeleton - killing it.
Seeing Rosabel crouch down and put pressure to her side, I hurry over to heal her wound. It isn't deep, but the jaws of an insect are good at latching onto something and can cause a good deal of damage to the area. Fortunately, its nothing I can't take care of.
Once Rosabel was healed, I collected the items - gaining a poor quality [Insect Silk] and another [White Wood].
I store the items and we keep moving. However, the weight of all the items we've gained is starting to way me down. As I notice the added burden, I also notice that I've begun to move more slowly. Specifically, it looks as though Rosabel is slowing down to keep pace with me rather than the other way around as it should be.
Grumbling about this, there's not much I can do. My only option is to discard some of our resources, and I refuse to do that. Improving my constitution should help, but the only dungeons that will help with that are a mechanical or drake dungeon. The bird dungeon improved my dexterity, but that had more to do with improving how I use my body than my constitution.
I am broken from my thoughts by a unique sound. Looking up from the ground I see a babbling river ahead of us.
Seeing this as a great chance, I rush forward - not hearing Rosabel's panicked cries as she rushes to follow.
Once I reach the river, I get to my knees and put my hands into the cold water. Cupping them, I bring the water to my mouth to drink. Enjoying the taste as it washes over my tongue and down my throat, I proceed to pull out the [Used bags] tucked into my pants and start filling them with water.
Once the bags are full, I twist them shut and observe they have become [Bag of Water]. I then store them within me. This may be a mistake due to how it adds to how heavy my body feels, but it still resolves my concerns about drink.
That taken care of, we cross the river and continue through the forest. We pass another goblin and collect [Goblin's Ear] I use to increase Rosabel's wisdom and…another [White Wood]…
I'm starting to wonder if this dungeon dislikes me. Why else would we keep getting the same resource over and over. Sure it's useful, but at this moment, I'd rather get food or drink.
We press on and our next opponent is another goblin but this time something is different. When Rosabel steps forward to finish it, she suddenly sways and becomes disoriented. The goblin then rushes in and begins scratching and clawing at her. She manages to fight the goblin off but is clearly struggling to put her full strength into it.
Confused by what is wrong with her, I take a few steps forward. That's when I smell it. A repugnant odor assaults my sense of smell and I'm suddenly overcome by vertigo. Fortunately, I manage to shake it off - though still tormented by the smell and a little off-balance.
Covering my nose with my arm, I wonder what this is when I remember. Like the bird dungeon, this one is more focused on intellect. Assuming it uses the same gimmick, then we may face two enemies at once. Thinking about what enemies are left in the dungeon, I quickly recall who we haven't seen yet and that they are ill-suited to working alone.
I look over the area and quickly notice the abnormal and prominent weed near the base of a tree near where the goblin and Rosabel are struggling. Several blades of waxy grass that would reach my knee if standing up drooped in a suspicious cluster.
Holding my breath, I rush over to the weed and grab hold of it. Pulling with all my might, the grass blades start moving in my grasp. I can feel small cuts forming on my palms but do not let go.
I give a mighty yank and pull from the ground a large root-like mass with four roots extending from it. This is the other enemy of the dungeon - 'Repulsive Weed'. These creatures are virtually defenseless and their only trick is to burrow into the ground and emit a repugnant but disorienting aroma into the air.
A large eye opens on its root-like main body and its four root-like limbs begin slowly moving around like tentacles as it begins emitting a high-pitched whine. I notice the goblin out the corner of my eye take notice of this. It tries to rush over to help its ally but Rosabel tackles it to stop it.
As if to demonstrate how weak a repulsive weed is, I rear back and begin swinging it - smashing it into the tree it had hidden itself by. It takes a few swings, but eventually it stops moving with green liquid oozing from its semi-crushed body. It isn't quite dead yet but it has stopped emitting its disorienting aroma. I look over to see Rosabel regaining her bearings and finishing the goblin.
"Rosabel," I call, "mind finishing this one." I then lob the weed over to her. It hits the ground and Rosabel does not hesitate to take her club and squash it.
I walk over to heal Rosabel and collect the items - using [Goblin's Ear] to improve her intelligence. Besides another [White Wood], I get a [Plant Stem] of poor quality and a [Radish]. I can't help but smirk at the last acquisition.
[Radish] may not be anything special, but I'm happy to have something that isn't raw meat. Plus, when properly cooked, it serves to provide a benefit to dexterity and endurance. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to cook it just yet, but still, it's not raw meat.
I store our gains away and we continue on. Collecting another [Goblin's Ear] on our way, I increase Rosabel's endurance. We also gain a [Bag of Juice] I store away. First [Radish] and now [Bag of Juice], I can' help but feel like things are starting to look up.
However, I call for a break and pull out two [Bag of Water]. Handing one to Rosabel, I take the other. While Rosabel isn't as enthusiastic about water as she was blood, I'm the opposite and happily bite into it to guzzle it down.
Between gulps, I turn to Rosabel. "Remember Rosabel, we're probably going to run into two enemies next. From what we have left it will probably be a Confused Insect and Repulsive Weed. Do you think you can handle its tough shell and the weed's smell?"
Before, Rosabel might have just boasted and said to trust her. But now, she actually seemed to think about it. She then looked at me and made some concerned gestures that - mixed with the guilt I felt from her - I interpreted as her asking for me to handle the weed. Once I agreed, she gave a slightly unhappy nod of agreement.
Me dealing with the weed puts me in danger so it's natural for her to be unhappy about this. But it's for the best. The repulsive weed's aroma affects people the lower their intelligence, wisdom, and charm are. Since I'm higher than her in all these, it's understandable why I'd be the one to handle it. Besides, weeds are fairly harmless once you get around their smell.
Collecting the two [Used bag], we head out.
Not long after, we encounter the insect. Looking around, I also spot the weed buried near it. Rosabel tries to rush in but I stop her. The obvious intent is for us to get near the beetle and walk into the weed's area of effect. Our idea is to have Rosabel power through it and distract the insect while I deal with the weed. However, a plan comes to my mind.
A goblin might be smart enough to wait for us to fall into their trap, but the thing about confused insects is they're all brawn and no brain. So, I decide to reach into the soft ground and pull up a ball of dirt. Throwing it at the insect, it jolts and scurries around as it tries to figure out what hit it. I grab another ball of dirt and throw it. Although I miss, I succeed in getting the insect's attention. It chitters angrily and charges toward us - leaving the weed's area of effect.
I let Rosabel go and what follows is an easy win on our part.
The insect's reckless charge was met with Rosabel's swing that partially crushed its head and knocked it onto its back. One swing to its unprotected belly was all it took.
I then braved the weed's aroma and pulled it from the ground. It whined and tried to emit more fragrance but I threw it over to Rosabel who squashed it before it could produce too much smell.
Rosabel is looking like she's questioning life - having expected much more difficulty - as I walk over to collect the items. We gain another poor quality [Insect Silk] and [White Wood] from the insect, and from the weed we get [Plucked Petal] and [Onion].
I store the items except the [Plucked Petal]. I instead have Rosabel absorb it like the [Broken Fang] and [Fallen Feather] so far. This snaps her from her self-questioning and we continue forward.
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Soon, we come across a wall of trees much more densely packed than anything so far. I quickly recognize this as the 'barrier' before the boss. Approaching them, I look between them and see a circle of such closely packed trees around a clearing - confirming my thought. But most interestingly is the odd 'tree' in the middle of the clearing.
I breath a sigh of relief. Due to the combined nature of this dungeon, there are one of two bosses we could find. Either a confused gigant or a repulsive mandrake. Between the two, the gigant's defense and speed give me concern. However a repulsive mandrake is - on its own - the weakest boss possible. Still stronger than me though.
Rosabel and I proceed to push past the trees and step into the clearing. The 'tree' in the middle only comes up to just under my chest and looks more like a giant, twisted, green root. On top of it is a horrendous, ugly flower that if plucked could probably cover Rosabel like a blanket. Not only is the flower large but its plump petals droop over it almost like a hat.
What happens next is the tree begins moving. Untwisting itself to stand on two legs and turn around to reveal itself as the evolved species of goblin. It looks similar to the goblins in the dungeon but with a giant flower on its head instead of any hair and its naked body fully exposing its more wrinkled, earthen, and wood-like skin.
The mandrake sneers at us and begins trying to bury itself in the ground. This is why it needs support - to give it time to do this. If allowed to, it becomes one of the most dangerous bosses. Fortunately, we have no intention of doing that and Rosabel quickly rushes forward and strikes at it with her club.
The mandrake tries to fight back but is unable to. If Rosabel was a new Soulmek and this was our first dungeon, we would be in trouble. But as our third, she makes quick work of it.
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Nature Dungeon - Jungle Forest Lv 1 (INT)
Mobs & Items
-Goblin (dark green): [Goblin's Ear]
-Confused Insect: [Broken Carapace], [Insect Silk] (poor)
--[Apple], [Banana]
-Repulsive Weed: [Plucked Petal], [Plant Stem] (Poor)
--[Carrot], [Radish], [Onion]
--[Bag of Juice], [White Wood]
Boss: Confused Gigant or Repulsive Mandrake
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Layfon
STR 4
END 7
DEX 7
INT 11+3
WIS 11
CHA 8
SPT 8
Demonstrated Skills: Summoner's Bond (Empathy, Command/Obey Summon), Status, Summon Status, Locate Dungeon, Loot Collection, Use Item, Inventory, Heal Summon
Inventory: [Slab of Meat] x8 (1 = 1 unit of food), [Beast Pelt] (Poor) x2, [Bag of Water] x9 (1 = 1 unit of water), [Bird Wing] (Poor) x3, [Insect Silk (Poor) x2, [Plant Stem] (Poor) x1, [Radish] x1, [Bag of Juice] x3, [Onion] x1, [Carrot] x1, [Apple] x1
Resources: 9 Units of [Fine Sand], 9 Unit of [White Wood]
Held Items: [Used bags] x2
Rosabel (4/10)
STR 14+1
END 13+1
DEX 15
INT 5+2
WIS 5 +2
CHA 5
SPT 5
(+2 Broken Fang) (+1 Fallen Feather) (+1 Plucked Petals)