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Chapter 1051 - Fame and Fortune
🕑 Added 2022-09-28 01:34:15 +0000 UTCThe practice of Delving into the Dungeon is as old as the Rending. No sooner had the desperate struggle for survival begun than people were throwing themselves into the depths, desperate to find the tools they needed to fight back against the onslaught.
Most died, but some didn’t, and even fewer actually became good at plunging into the depths. Being able to descend, fight, gather materials, and return alive, was exceptionally valuable, and therefore lucrative.
Just like that, the practice of Dungeon Delving as an enterprise was born. At first it was largely unorganised and unregulated, but as the devastation of the Rending began to fade, and exploration became safer and more common, the delvers began to cooperate and merge, forming societies, organisations and guilds, to ensure they were treated fairly and to protect their interests from interlopers.
Over centuries, these groups gradually converged to form the major Delving associations that still exist in modern times. The Mercenary Guild remains the largest and most powerful, most who seek materials or wish to lay contracts against certain monsters will always post the task within their halls.
- Excerpt from “Society and the Dungeon” by Antuar
“Hoo boy,” Drake's eyes shot up as he beheld the new entry on the board.
His voice drew eyes, which led to further exclamations in turn, attracting yet more, until a crowd gathered, mercs discussing the new development.
Turning his back on the glowing bounty board, Drake made his way back to the table around which the rest of his crew sat.
“Not sure I appreciate that glint in your eye, mate,” Lacos drawled, the scaly-skinned Brathian’s eyes sharpening as he sensed a development.
“Contract just went up. Big one.”
The group turned in their seats to look at the crowd gathered around the board, now four people deep.
“Holy heck. Look at them go. This must be for huge money! How much is it? Wait, don’t tell me. Actually, tell me. No! Shut up! There’s no way it's worth the trouble.”
Drake smiled.
“Are you done, Elly? At least let me give you the information before you make a decision.”
“No way.” She held up a hand, then thought better of it and raised both, for increased emphasis. “Big numbers have a detrimental effect on the merc mind. Ninety percent of deaths happen on big jobs at least seventy percent of the time.”
“Did you make up those numbers?”
“Yes. But my point stands! Big reward means big danger. We don’t need to take the risk right now.”
“What is it?” Lacos said, waving off Elly as she began to squawk in protest. “I wanna know, Elly, shut it.”
“Alright then.” Drake pulled up a chair and helped himself to a few taro chips, the rich life-mana inside tingling in his mouth before it suffused his being. “This job is going to bring in a heck of a lot of eyes, and I think more than a few will go for it, but that doesn’t matter so much, since the reward is general rather than specific.”
“Unusual,” Lacos stroked his scaled chin.
“True. The job was posted by the Path. Seems they’ve detected some beasty evolving out near the tree.”
“Which tree?” Elly broke in.
“The tree,” Drake emphasised.
“Oh.”
“Whatever it is, it’s pretty big, estimated at max Rare or early Mythic.”
The listening pair sucked in a long breath. Monsters at that stage of evolution were a big deal. Deadly, hard to kill, but worth a fortune if you could pull it off. A mythic core would let them live like royalty for a decade.
Lacos frowned.
“Mythic…. That’s dangerous.”
“It’s still evolving. As of this moment, there’s no need to tangle with the monster. If we can get to it before it wakes up, it’s free money.”
“That’s what everyone always thinks,” Elly scoffed. “How many times have we heard stories of delvers walking up to an evolving beast, only for the thing to wake up right before they stab it. Did they post an estimated time on the job?”
Reluctant, Drake shook his head.
“There, too dangerous, end of story.”
“Now hold on a second,” he said, “there’s more to it than just the big beast, although that’s the main prize. For whatever reason, this monster is being guarded by thousands and thousands of weaker creatures.”
Elly stared at him.
“That makes it infinitely worse,” she said, “are you out of your mind?”
“Except, the Path is willing to pay bounty on all of them. Not just the biggin’.”
“They what now?” Lacos sat up straight.
Drake grinned.
“Tier four or five, the bulk of them. Thousands. If we can pick off ten or so that’ll be a year’s worth of income in one job.”
“Everyone is going to want a piece of this,” Lacos said.
“Which makes it better, not worse. Thousands of delvers crawling over the mountain will make life easier for us, help spread the heat. If we come at it from the far side, keep as much distance between us and the tree as possible, we can cash in.”
Elly was frowning.
“I don’t like this,” she said, “something feels off. We’ve got a giant monster sleeping in a mountain crawling with thousands of defenders, and we don’t know when it’ll wake up. This is weird behaviour for monsters.”
Lacos nodded thoughtfully.
“But still worth investigating,” he said, “I think we pass on word to the boss. There’s likely to be an expedition mounted for this, which will help on travel and support, and he can get us on there. I’m not saying we’re going,” he held up a hand to Elly before she could protest, “I’m saying we’re going to check it out. Even if we get all the way out there and don’t like what we see, it will hardly have cost us anything with the fees being split so many ways. Fair?”
“Fine,” the other grumbled as she sat back and took a long pull from her mug.
Comments
Ladyhotcomb
Oh noooooooo
Greyg
I agree just like 1 week is a miserable wait per chapter for BOD but he is introducing another powerful empire/cult coming against the ants and world building/alternative character focus takes time to build up.
Kale Burks
2 months is too long.
Rahsheem Reid
Oooooo I can’t stop speculating… this situation might be the reason Anthony sets off on his own with a crucial death and the strongest staying and protecting him and not responding to the OG queen in danger.
Rahsheem Reid
I agree. Especially since most of the strongest of the colony are In the fourth protecting Anthony.
Angry Bengal
I'm hoping to see the colony kick major ass on their own and not need Anthony to rescue them. Historiant's and other excerpts hint at that. While I'm eager to see what Anthony can do after his evolution it's exciting to see the colony become a true force to be reckoned with.
Rahsheem Reid
Kinda hoping some of Anthony’s pets were being syphoned biomass and xp on the 4th. Great way too see what solo t7 Anthony can do.
Rahsheem Reid
Agreed and honestly this is what I fell in love with in the series. The death March of gargolosh Anthony running from the legion and golgari.
Jadedknot
I wonder if this is the start of the excerpts regarding the tales of humans attacking ant fortifications and being terrified of the ambush tunnels, acid, etc..
Brandon14754
I imagine it's like staring at the sun thanks to the evolution affecting literally thousands of monsters and being what they probably assume is a tier 7 to tier 8 evolution. They can see general stuff but other then the brightest bit and the cloud of smaller monsters around they can't make it out, also it's more than 3, you've got his 3 pets and the immortals and leroy which are all tier 6. Maybe the mother tree is also making it hard to see the details somehow.
KingGoomba
Interesting that the Path couldn’t detect the 3 highly evolved tier 6 monsters protecting Anthony as well
Jac Onue
I wonder if the mercs we're introduced to will nope out once they see that it's ants (and possibly fortifications) or if the info about the colony and their exploits haven't spread yet. Also, in a funny twist, the colony could re-hire the mercs to fight the demons instead, probably won't happen though.
Cindermoth
Hmmm, could the colony possibly recruit some of the mercs to help fight the demons?
Ian Levy
This mob of mercenaries are going to show up and see a fucking fortress and all just leave.
S10NN4CH
A war on two fronts. The Colony needs to protect its Eldest from mercenaries, and its Eldest Queen from a literal sea of demons. I'm liking the beginnings of this ark. Really seems like the kind of crucible it will take to forge the Colony into something greater.
stubs
they probably expect roaming banda of brainless monsters, rather than an organised army behind fortifications.
Runaway_Cactuar
Leroy is crossing her antennae in anticipation~
Thunderhoof
The ANTicipation is killing me man. It's Garalosh all over again.
Byte core
nice. especially now that the whole colony is alreay mobilized. once the queen is secured and the ants get a sniff of the eldest being in danger during evolution and hopping to the 4th with the trees help. good luck not getting turned into biomass stepping on colonyterritory^^
Beeees!
They may not know. All that guy saw was a big Beasty evolving with thousands of other beasties around, didn't seem like he got many details
Patrick
I like how the path is staying mum on the fact that these are sentient monsters....not just monsters lol
Jayson Legott
I look forward to the chapter when they realize just what exactly they are walking into. Hopefully Brilliant will be able to give a little forewarning
Jackson crockett
You just reminded me of the state of the third and how bad it might get with out thousands of delvers stirring the pot
Rahsheem Reid
Lmao thinking of brilliant in a dimension travel espionage killing folks in their sleep is what I can’t wait too see!!
Richard Doss
There is no good outcome for anyone who kills a member of the colony
Rahsheem Reid
Just knowing everyone has too go through the third is hella funny too me.
Midnight Harbinger
well this can only end well.....
Marter
This poor souls forgive them for they not know the mess they’ve just stirred up
xXChrisdogXx
More blood for the blood god Anthony
Isiah Debarros
Damn that sucks for them
BlissForgotten
Birds die for food, men die for gold. The path and the demon wars are literally shoveling food and ideas at the colony at this point.
