I sensed the bag jolt abruptly as he hoisted it toward the cave's entrance. "It will be delightful to reach the village and indulge in a soothing bath, a comfortable room, and a hearty meal."
That sounds awesome to me too! But here's the kicker: I'm now a bat, and not just any bat—I'm an ahool, a freakin' monster bat! At least I've got arms and hands, which is pretty handy. I'm curious if the Dark Lord System lets me mess with my evolution because I definitely don't want to end up as a ten-foot-tall, grotesque bat beast with massive, poison-dripping fangs and a wingspan that could shadow a small village. If that happens, I'll be dodging adventurers left and right! Who wouldn't want to take me down? And what about dating, just thinking about the kind of ladies I'd attract in that form gives me chills!
I cautiously lifted my eyes to peek through the narrow gap between the bag and the flap, and there it was—the bag secured to the side of a horse. My gaze shifted to the mage as he unfurled the scroll he had retrieved earlier, channeling mana into it. His hand radiated a glow as he pressed it against the circular sigil at the center of the scroll. With a swift motion, he hurled the scroll down, and it erupted into brilliant light blue flames that rapidly spread around the cave entrance, spreading back into the darkness. A chill ran down my spine as I watched those fierce blue flames; I was grateful to be out of that cave. These people were no joke.
"That should be everything, we can go into the village now if that bat was alive, it isn't now," said the mage.
I'm grateful to be the runt of the litter. As the crew hopped onto their horses, I felt another jolt. Sure, I'd love to hit the town, indulge in some good food, stock up on supplies, find a cozy spot to crash, grab a few drinks, and maybe even charm a lovely lady, but that's not in the cards. Who told the universe to turn me into a bat? I rummaged through my bag, making sure I snagged everything I needed; it might be a while before I got another shot at gathering supplies. I even grabbed the little knife that felt like a sword in my grip. What a hilarious image—a bat wielding a sword! I tossed that into my new space bracelet. Thankfully, the adventurers are heading to town, and they'll have plenty of chances to restock with the cash they earned from selling those ahool body parts and the villagers' pay.
After they were well on their way, feeling comfortable in their saddles and routine, I was about to squeeze out of the side of the bag, when the group suddenly halted.
"Woah," said the swordsman.
"That wasn't here before, was it Ryder?" said the Archer.
"No, this is a new and unexplored dungeon," said the swordsman Ryder.
"It's our duty to report it to the magistrate then," said the mage.
"Ugh, the moment we tell anyone, the kingdom is just going to send their so-called "heroes" to swoop in and steal all the glory for discovering the dungeon. They'll seal off the entrance, grab all the best loot, and then make everyone else pay to get in while taking a cut of at least ten percent from whatever the paying adventurers find. It's so unfair! They won't even acknowledge that we were the ones who found it first. We'll be stuck waiting in line like everyone else, paying an entrance fee and a treasure tax. Seriously, they are the worst!"
"That kind of talk is treasonous!" said the mage.
"So, like, who's the snitch here, Herald? Is it you?"
"I shall never do such a thing!"
"Ugh, like, obviously I can say whatever I want when it's just us, right? I mean, it's not like I'm gonna spill all that chiffs in public or anything."
"Exercise caution, Valen; I have concerns about your tendency to speak so freely," the mage cautioned.
The burly man with the two-headed axe and a petite woman in a white robe came forward.
"Um, I kind of agree with Valen. Maybe we should head into the dungeon now, you know, before anyone else discovers it? We could do a careful exploration. If it turns out to be manageable, we might find some treasures, but if it's too tough, we can just back out and let someone know about it. At least we'd get a finder's fee then. I mean, it wouldn't hurt, and I promise none of us will spill anything about the other group members."
"Sure thing, Misty would totally do that. Gotta keep the girls united," the axe man said.
"This isn't just about girls having each other's backs. So, what do you think?" said Valen.
"At last, someone's got the guts to ask Max The Axe what's on his mind!"
Valen rolled her eyes, "Forget I said anything."
"It seems we find ourselves at an impasse, so the choice now rests with you," said Herald the mage, addressing Ryder.
"I remain uneasy with the notion that all have chosen to place me in a position of authority; it was not my desire to assume such a role."
"And that's exactly why we all voted for you, now get to voting!" said Valen.
"He took a moment to reflect, letting out a weary sigh. "Let us proceed with a careful exploration of the first level. Should we encounter no significant threats, we shall establish our camp for the night and gather our strength to delve deeper. However, if the first level proves perilous, we shall retreat, either setting up our camp at a safe distance from the entrance or pressing onward to the village to report our findings, contingent upon any injuries among us. Tell me, is your mana fully replenished, Misty?"
"I healed Valen earlier so I'm a little short of full, but I can probably manage to heal most injuries as they occur. Unless it's a life-threatening situation or has a really strong status effect. But, um, I think Herald has plenty of scrolls to remove those effects, doesn't he?" said Misty.
"Indeed, we're all set," Herald said, giving the side of his bag a reassuring pat.
His huge hand hit me in the side twice, and I bit my lower lip, feeling like I was on the receiving end of a giant's blow. I held my breath to keep quiet, a throbbing ache settling in, and a headache starting to loom. Just perfect, I'm so fragile that I can't handle a light tap. I've got to find a way out of this bag as soon as they're distracted; I can't afford to stay here much longer, or Herald will have to dig into his bag, and that'll be curtains for me.
Coming Next Time: Ultimatum
Does it still count when I'm threatened?