The echoes of Gaindogrig's defeat still reverberated through the mountain as the dust settled around his massive, lifeless form. The towering demon had been a force unlike anything Strawberry had faced before, but as she and Quinella stood side by side, breathing heavily from the battle, the reality of their victory began to sink in.
Muffin, peeking out from Strawberry's hood, let out a triumphant squeak as if to say, We did it! Strawberry couldn't help but smirk, despite her exhaustion.
"Alright, Muffin," Strawberry said, stretching her sore arms and shoulders. "Time to find the real prize."
Quinella glanced over at her, her violet eyes calm yet alert. "You mean Gaindogrig's treasure horde?"
Strawberry nodded. "Exactly. Demons like him don't operate without a stash of valuable loot. We should see what he was hiding before the goblins can reclaim any of it."
The two adventurers moved carefully through the remnants of the goblin camp, now eerily quiet without their monstrous leader to rally them. Gaindogrig's imposing form lay broken, his massive wings spread across the rocky ground like fallen banners. It wasn't long before they reached a massive stone formation near the back of the cave, a section of the mountain wall that looked suspiciously unnatural.
"There," Quinella said, pointing toward a large boulder that seemed to be blocking a hidden passageway. "That has to be it."
With their combined strength—and some clever use of Strawberry's wires—they managed to move the boulder aside, revealing a narrow passage leading into a deeper part of the cave. The walls were slick with moisture, and the air grew colder as they descended, but they pressed forward, undeterred by the eerie atmosphere.
After several minutes of walking through the winding tunnel, they emerged into a vast underground chamber.
The treasure horde was unmistakable.
Piles of glittering gold coins, rare gemstones, and ancient relics were stacked high against the walls. Gaindogrig had clearly been amassing his wealth for some time, likely plundering villages and hoarding the spoils in this hidden vault. The sight of the treasure was overwhelming, a dragon's dream come true.
"Jackpot," Strawberry muttered, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. With this, I can spend a couple of years just lazing around. Maybe buy a house with a hot tub. Oh! Oh! Hire a desert chef or whatever the word for people making deserts is called. Yeah, that sounds nice.
While Strawberry was fantasizing, Muffin, ever the opportunist, leaped from her hood and hopped toward a pile of gold, sniffing curiously at the sparkling gems scattered across the floor.
"Don't get too excited," Quinella said with a wry smile. "We'll take what we can carry, but the system will likely distribute rewards once we're done."
True to Quinella's words, the system chimed in as they approached the center of the treasure room. A soft light illuminated the space around them, and two treasure chests materialized before them—one for each of them.
Strawberry crouched down, her fingers brushing against the lock of the chest. With a quick flick, she opened it, the satisfying click of the lock giving way to the sight of her rewards. Among the gold and various items, her eyes caught something familiar—pages from a journal.
"These..." Strawberry murmured as she pulled the tattered pages from the chest, carefully unfolding them.
Quinella raised an eyebrow. "More of the Dragon Hunter's journal?"
Strawberry nodded slowly, her eyes scanning the worn pages. "Yeah, it looks like I found more pieces to the puzzle. Gaindogrig must have had these hidden here. This journal… it's becoming more interesting than I thought."
As she tucked the journal pages safely into her inventory, Quinella finished gathering her own rewards from the chest. "Let's not forget our other mission here," she reminded. "We still need to find Ormi's hatchling."
Strawberry stood up, her fingers tapping the hilt of her scythe as she considered their next move. "Right. We need to get the hatchling back to Ormi before anything else can go wrong."
After securing their loot, Strawberry and Quinella ventured deeper into the cave system, searching for any sign of the missing hatchling. The air grew cooler, and the sound of dripping water echoed faintly in the distance. As they pressed forward, their senses heightened, Strawberry caught the faint sound of movement ahead—something small and nervous.
"There," Quinella whispered, pointing toward a narrow crevice between two boulders. "Do you hear that?"
Strawberry nodded, approaching the crevice carefully. Muffin, ever the curious scout, hopped from her shoulder and squeezed through the small gap, his tiny paws tapping lightly against the stone as he disappeared into the shadows.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, a soft chirp echoed back toward them, followed by the faint flutter of wings. Muffin emerged from the crevice a moment later, his little nose twitching excitedly as he nudged something from the shadows.
A small, shimmering figure stepped hesitantly into the light—a young amethyst dragon hatchling, its scales gleaming like freshly polished gems. The hatchling blinked up at Strawberry and Quinella with wide, frightened eyes, but there was an undeniable strength and intelligence behind the fear.
"Oh wow…" Quinella breathed, taking a step forward. "We found her."
The little dragon let out a soft chirp, clearly relieved to see friendly faces. She took a tentative step toward Strawberry, nuzzling against her leg with a quiet, grateful rumble.
Strawberry smiled, reaching down to gently pat the little dragon's head. "Let's get you back to your mother."
The journey back to Ormi was quiet but swift. The Hatchling, now nestled comfortably between Strawberry and Quinella, seemed to trust the two adventurers completely. As they approached the entrance of the cave where Ormi awaited them, the massive amethyst dragon landed gracefully from above, her wings casting a long shadow over the landscape.
Ormi's presence was as awe-inspiring as ever, her majestic form towering above them, but there was a softness in her glowing eyes as she beheld her rescued hatchling.
"You have done well, my friends," Ormi's voice echoed in their minds, her telepathic tone filled with gratitude. "My hatchling, Orsyn, is safe because of you. I am forever in your debt."
Orsyn chirped happily, bounding over to her mother and snuggling against Ormi's massive foreleg. The scene was heartwarming, and for a moment, Strawberry allowed herself to relax, basking in the satisfaction of a job well done.
But then Ormi's gaze shifted, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Strawberry.
"I sense something... a presence in your possession."
Strawberry blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Ormi's eyes gleamed as she lowered her head toward Strawberry, her gaze fixated on something unseen. "The gemstone you carry… the topaz. Bring it forth."
Curious, Strawberry reached into her inventory and retrieved the Topaz Gemstone, the small, orange jewel that had been with her since her last quest. As she held it up, Ormi's eyes widened with recognition.
Without a word, Ormi produced a gemstone of her own—an Amethyst Gemstone, the same size and shape as Strawberry's topaz stone. The purple gem shimmered with the same mysterious glow, and when the two gemstones were held side by side, something remarkable happened.
A spark leapt between the two stones, crackling with energy. Both the topaz and the amethyst began to shine brighter, their light intertwining in a dazzling display of power.
"This…" Ormi began, her voice filled with wonder. "These gemstones… they are more than mere heirlooms? They are connected, though I no longer recall how. It has been ages since I last held this stone, and its true nature has been forgotten by even the oldest of my kind. But now… it seems you have found the next piece of this mystery."
Strawberry looked down at the two glowing stones in her hands, her mind racing. What were these gemstones? And why did they react so strongly to each other?
Best. Questline. Ever! She squealed in her head.
Before she could ask more questions, Ormi lifted her head, her gaze softening once more. "Take this as a token of my gratitude, adventurer. These stones will lead you to your next destination. You must uncover their meaning."
As Ormi and Orsyn settled back into their cave, Gianna appeared, her expression filled with relief as she approached the two adventurers.
"You did it," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "You saved Orsyn and stopped Gaindogrig. The village is safe because of you."
Strawberry waved her off. "It was a team effort."
Gianna smiled, but her expression grew more serious as she continued. "There's something I need to ask of you both. Please, keep Ormi's existence a secret from the rest of the floor. If word spreads about her, there will be those who seek to harm her for her power… or worse."
Quinella nodded solemnly. "You have our word."
Gianna's eyes softened, and she handed each of them a small token wrapped in cloth. "This is for you—Ormi's Blessing. It is a small token of thanks from the village, but also from Ormi herself."
Strawberry carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal a beautifully crafted pendant, etched with the image of a dragon's wing. She felt a warm sensation as she held it, knowing that it carried with it the gratitude of both Ormi and the village.
"Thanks," Strawberry said, her voice soft.
Quest Rewards:
1,000 Experience Points
10,000 gold col (Not sure about the currency in SAO, so correct me in the comments if that was too much or too little)
Amethyst Gemstone (Non-Transferable)
"It's an amethyst which appears to be half an inch in diameter and seems almost perfectly spherical. This is the second gemstone you've obtained, and it seems to react strangely when brought near the topaz gemstone. You must find out what these stones mean."
Ormi's Blessing (Special Item)
As Strawberry, Muffin, and Quinella left the cave behind, the weight of the gemstones in her pocket reminded Strawberry that this journey was far from over. There were mysteries left to uncover—mysteries that these stones would help unlock.
And with the next quest—DHA 3: Lost Blessings and Ancient Evils— already whispering in the back of her mind, she knew that their greatest challenges were still ahead.
She looked towards her furry companion and announced, "Off to the 3rd floor, Muffin. Let's beat some floor boss!"