KAPPA 73 (Patreon)

Though it took them more than a week to reach the Subterranean Spire's Dungeon Core, the return trip only took two days. There was no longer a need to explore, so after experimenting a bit, Kaia took advantage of her high Agility and sensitive ears to simply slip past the monsters that would have barred their return.

Shortly after reaching the surface, Zarah, patting her magical satchel, said, "We'll part ways here. Lady Viraja informed me where I needed to go and who to turn the materials we collected over to. After that, I'm heading back to the Palace of Wisdom. I'll update you on the situation through the Omni-Comm."

"Are you sure you don't want to accompany us to the Cathedral of Light?" asked Cairn. "I doubt anything will come of it, but this is a chance for you to meet the Pope."

"That's precisely why I'm 'not' going," contended Zarah. "The founders of the Institute of Magical Research and the Church have been at odds even before the establishment of the Runegraad Kingdom. I'm already a pariah among my would-be contemporaries. The last thing I need is some fogey with more envy than sense accusing me of being a spy for the clergy."

"Does it matter?" asked Cairn. "Though it hasn't been made official, you're essentially Vira's apprentice by proxy. If you want to use that as leverage, I'll work something out with her on your behalf."

"That's sweet and all, but if it became public knowledge that either of us was affiliated with Vira, people from across Cliabhaan would seek us out in the hopes of forming even a tangential connection with her," said Zarah, shrugging as she added, "Until we can stand on our own merits, it's better to keep such high-profile connections a secret. You never know what kind of crazy, opportunistic cunts will come crawling out of the woodwork."

"I have a few ideas..." muttered Cairn, thinking back to his encounter with Princess Hilde and the group of four in the Den of Greed. He had yet to be summoned to the palace, but with how much time had passed, he would be surprised if the Baskervilles didn't have someone monitoring the Reine, Fleur, and the Rainy Day Inn.

"Yeah, I assumed you might," said Zarah. "That's one of the reasons we're splitting up here. I'd rather not be accosted by those keeping tabs on you, so only contact me if it's related to our investigation or leaving the Capital long-term."

"Fine. But if anything happens on your end, don't hesitate to contact us," said Cairn. "As for our investigation, it'll probably be a week or two until we set out for the next Dungeon. It depends on how things play out with you-know-who."

"Just let me know ahead of time which Dungeon we'll be entering," said Zarah. Then, remembering how ill-prepared Cairn was for their encounter with the Ground Dragon, she stopped mid-departure to look back at him and state, "And before you decide, be sure to study up on the Dungeon's structure and the ecology of the inhabiting monsters. You might have the resiliency of a cockroach, but if Kaia, Tarou, or myself had been forced to respawn back at the Church, it would have been a disaster."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind..." grumbled Cairn, feeling annoyed but understanding where Zarah was coming from. He had plenty of time to prepare but let himself be distracted by 'personal matters.' If he planned to lead an expedition in the future, he had a fair amount of growing to do, both as a person and a leader...

Waiting until Zarah was out of earshot, Cairn turned to Kaia and asked, "Are you going to walk around in your human form? It might be better to keep it a secret."

Nodding in affirmation, Kaia brought her hands together as if she were praying. It was the most effective way she knew to manipulate the Mana in her body, and after a few seconds had passed, her fur began to glow a luminous golden hue as her hair lengthened and her ass morphed into the hindquarters of a rabbit.

"Well, that was something..." muttered Cairn, a moderately incredulous look adorning his face. He expected it, but seeing the ass he had grown fond of suddenly balloon into the body of a rabbit was a...disconcerting sight.

"Can you help me put on my blanket and harness...?" asked Kaia, closing her eyes, tilting her head, and smiling from ear to ear as she stood with her hands over her 'lap.' Cairn felt a sensation similar to a mental impact, but he rebounded quickly, returning a smile of his own as he helped the Karacutie don her equipment before they made their way to the Apostolic Palace and Solosaxian's prison-like prayer chamber with Tarou in tow...

...

..

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"I did not expect our second meeting to occur so soon after the last..." remarked a frail-looking 'youth' with long green hair, the human form of Solosaxian, the draconic entity Cairn had come to know as the second most powerful entity in all of Plainaire.

Suppressing the instinctual dread that caused a layer of sweat to cover much of his body, Cairn forced a smile and retorted, "Trust me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't strictly necessary..."

Adopting the faintest of smiles, Solosaxian mused, "That's how it ought to be..." before rising to his feet and facing Cairn and Kaia directly, his pastel green eyes shimmering as he added, "Now, show me the child. Before you choose whether to raise it yourself or entrust it to the Church, I will purge its corruption."

"Before that...there's something I wanted to ask you..." said Cairn, gritting his teeth and activating [Self-Immolation] to mitigate at least some of the effects of Solosaxian's ridiculous Charisma.

Sparing Cairn the need to ask, Solosaxian's eyes flashed as he remarked, "You wish to know if I'm aware of what's transpiring in the Dungeons. The simple answer is yes. However, as you are well aware, it is not my place to intervene. As such, I can only confirm what you know or, at the very least, suspect with a reasonable degree of certainty. For instance, the eyes you saw when you linked with the mind of the Astragora do, in fact, belong to my mother. And, before you ask, no, she is not the one responsible for the outbreaks. At the very least, not directly."

"Right..." muttered Cairn, reaching for the ebon-black totem on his belt and releasing the Astragora, Nue'kelegastra, from its stasis. He had done so once before, just to confirm he could, but Cairn still grimaced when he glimpsed the pungent mass of purple-and-black, eye-covered tentacles writhing about on the ground, pained and wet groans emanating from its various mouths...

Contrasting Cairn's natural, albeit guilt-ridden revulsion, Solosaxian maintained a faint smile as he bent down to pick up the mass of tendrils, hugging it to his chest as he remarked, "In exchange for bringing this one to me, I shall impart you a bit of wisdom. This form of corruption is called Abyssal Encroachment. It is what happens when people shun the known Gods and seek absolution or empowerment from forces unknown. If you wish to know more, you should seek out the Sea God's people. As Restia's light cannot reach them, many of their more reclusive tribes revere a deity known as the Unfathomable Deep, Ba'aastuhla..."

"I'll consider it once I've found my footing and my business in the Frontier is resolved..." replied Cairn. However, as the Kingdom of the Sea God was known to be located several kilometers under the sea, he wouldn't dare to venture there until he was at least Level 70, maybe even 100.

Sensing Cairn's thoughts, Solosaxian mused, "You are wiser than Alfred was at your age..." before abruptly kissing the writhing mass of tentacles in his embrace. As he did so, a flash of golden light disseminated through the Astragora's body, reverting it to its cute, almost chibiesque form. Its four-horned head was nearly as large as its torso, and its forelimbs were much longer and thicker than its hind legs. As for the rest of its body, it had large eyes, webbed wings that appeared much too small for its stout body, a thick, almost cone-shaped tail, a backing of obsidian black scales, and a pale, ivory-white underbelly.

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Name: Nue'kelegastra

Species: Astragora

Gender: Male

Age: 42 days

Title: Blessed(Vit and Ch increased by 50%)

Class: Dungeon Master(Epic)

[Attributes]

Level: 35/100(419,992/429,760)[Ancient Dragon Whelp(-), Dungeon Master(35)]

HP: 1,196,160/1,196/160

MP: 2,129,355/2,129,365

Str: 190+142

Agi: 143+107

Vit: 1,050+2,310

Int: 419+314

Dex: 73+55

Cha: 211+253

Talent(s): [Blessing of Darkness(35/100)], [Dragon Heart(35/100)], [Ancient Dragon's Constitution(35/100)], [Administration(35/100)], [Familiarization(19/100)], [Territorial(27/66)], [Adamantine Bones(24/59)], [Dragon's True Sight(18/50)], [Hyper Regeneration(17/25)]

Skill(s): [Restructuring(MAX)], [Create Monster(MAX)], [Create Trap(MAX)], [Whelp's Roar(7/10)], [Darkness Dragon's Breath(4/10)], [Claw of Destruction(1/10)]

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Blinking in surprise, Cairn remarked, "It still possesses the Dungeon Master Class. Does that mean it's linked to the Subterranean Spire...?"

"Hmmm...I supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell you that much..." muttered Solosaxian, holding the Astragora like a baby as he explained, "Dungeons are the byproduct of Dungeon Masters. More often than not, that position is held by those descended from Ancient Dragons. A thousand years ago, a treaty was forged to turn ownership of all the Dungeons in Cliabhaan to the Runegraad Kingdom and their managing nations. So, to answer your question, no, this one is not tied to the Subterranean Spire. However, as it possesses the Dungeon Master Class, it can modify existing Dungeons by accessing their Core directly."

"That's a pretty big hint..." Cairn noted. He expected Solosaxian to be even more roundabout than Vira, but the green-haired Dragonoid was proferring more plot threads than a loom.

Adopting a sad smile that caused both Cairn's and Kaia's hearts to tense, Solosaxian handed over the sleeping Astragora as he explained, "There is a reason I chose a prison cell as my dwelling. My position affords me very little freedom to act, no matter how strong my desire to do so..."

Raising his gaze to meet Cairn's, Solosaxian caused his heart to skip a beat by adopting a faint smile and adding, "If you encounter any others like this child, please bring them to me. Even if this is the natural course of fate, no child should be made to suffer to such an extent. For better or worse, you are one of the few with the power and opportunity to alter the fates of others freely. I will not ask that you live selflessly, but please lend a hand when circumstances allow..."

Sensing that his presence was becoming too much for Cairn and Kaia to bear, Solosaxian made a pushing motion with his right hand, a feeling of weightlessness overtaking them as they were gently ushered out of the prison-like chamber. Then, once again alone, he turned to face a wooden carving of Restia, nearly featureless as it had been carved more than six thousand years ago by a child barely old enough to speak.

Grasping the figure and caressing it with his thumb, Solosaxian's pastel eyes glistened slightly as he muttered, "I know it isn't your intention, but your compassion is sometimes even worse than cruelty..."

...

..

.

Similar to their first meeting with Solosaxian, Cairn and Kaia immediately plopped down the moment they were released from the influence of his Charisma. This time, however, they weren't alone as the taciturn-looking Paladin, Andromeda, and her squadron were present, having been told to wait outside.

Exhibiting zero empathy, Andromeda sported her usual mask of ice-cold indifference as she questioned, "Will you and your companion be leaving, or shall we make arrangements for you to meet with the Saintess?"

Shaking his head, Cairn didn't hesitate to answer, "It's still a bit early for us to meet the Saintess. But if you can take this to her, I'd appreciate it..."

Handing Andromeda the sleeping Astragora, Cairn felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. As much as he 'wanted' to take the little chonker with him, he knew it would only invite even more trouble. Thus, until he was powerful enough to protect himself and those closest to him, he reasoned it was best to leave the Astragora's protection to the Church. And, if nothing else, its presence should convince the Saintess he wasn't ignoring her outright...

...

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