Chapter Sixteen

  Harmony's head throbbed as she regained sciouso the extent that her vision blurred, and all she could see was a glowing fuzzy white aura. As her eyes focused, it remained fuzzy, the furry kind. A rge white dog sat calmly in front of her, the kind that Ambrosia would decre "Adorbs." and name Snowball because it was white and fluffy, then assure her birds that she loves them just as much while relentlessly petting said dog.

  Aween the dog and sat Hyath. He projected a heavy sense of caution through [Familiar Bond] and held a low purring croak in his chest.

  "gratutions on pleting your challehe dog spoke.

  Hurting head, speaking dog, challenge. She tried to sort it out and sneezed. Death tickled her nose. Not her death but the internal presence of her css. The events of the day came crashing back to her. Her partner's steady pany and a poke at her social skills kept her calm.

  Letting her senses g, the scary presence of the not-dog was remarkably well tained. Even then, she had had to look away and tamper that part of her down or risk getting too caught up in it.

  "I appreciate it, Old Bones." She told the dog-that-was-not-a-dog as she slid bato the differential role her profession cultivated.

  "It's rare that I get someoh su early fasating blueprint. Keeping your team alive. tributing to battles. Exemplifying what it means to challenge me."

  The term blueprint to describe one's progression path was old, old, old. Harmony only reized it from Tyler's rare colle of dots. The kind that was only a page or two of lost texts and preserved in spelled gss. She didn't miss how some teammates not ing out alive was a strong possibility. The same kind of casualness about life ah many lords and dies had.

  Harmony sat up. "I always try my best." Internally she brushed up against aspects of [Style and Grace] and [Poise and Bearing] that flowed in the movement of her soul. Ohe idea of toug them so lightly was a difficult task. Even though she'd only had [Mana Rotation] for a few days, she was gd she had it now. If she had o activate the skills, she knew someone like Old Bones would be able to instantly tell. So she leaned on a light toud the phrase she said the manor's matriarch every time she had her skills plemented.

  "Do you really?" Old Bones asked.

  Harmony could feel the a power behind those words. Older, wiser, more powerful, and full of questioning about what she did while she fought with Tyler, Rose, Len, and Max. It was the weight of the world, and the maid kept silent rather than answer.

  That old voice tinued. "With your css, you should have led your patriots. Showing them where and what danger roag. As structured as you are, none of them should have gotten a scratder such guidance. My domain was not so resistant to your css sehat you couldn't divihe perils ahead. Then they act as you direct them. Indomitable, burn, pierce, sever. You're not at your best if you don't fully use the tools you have and the tools others provide. ime I want to see you at your fullest. "

  That reizable tone had to be more ahan civilization. This is the proper way to with your dust skill. Skill training is through repetition and speed. The appropriate way to attract a suiter is. This is how you lead a dungeon party. Oh, Harmony khere was useful information in such lectures. It also ighe reality of who she was and her limited status. Who khat Old Bohe dungeoh Hazeldown, was a bit of a patronizing jerk.

  Standing up, she curtsied. "Your wisdom honors me."

  Hyath had to keep quiet to force himself from croaking in ughter.

  "Ahem. Well, perfect is a bit much to ask for someone so young. Your reward, challenger." A small chest rose out of the dungeon floor.

  Kneeling back down, Harmony opehe chest. She wasn't greeted by a pile of wealth but instead by three items. A k of white bone, a skill stone, and a glove. [Analyze] activated.

  Champion's Tooth - Stride Before the Fall - Glove[Paired]

  The tooth! No more appeasing Tyler. No more durips. The skill stone had to be rare, four words in a description, and stride implied a movement skill. Only five.... no, she could feel that she finally went up to twelve, four more levels until she gained a new skill slot. A barrier created by the domain was blog her from seleg her new css skill and haviats unlocked. The glove was the missing half of the one she wore. Now she felt a little stupid for thinking it had been something special.

  "Yes, I noticed year was inplete, and I was able to help there." The dungeon had a sense of smugo its tone.

  Why did powerful beings always have to have a sense of humor revolving around what they could do for you? It could have been worse. The missing glove had to be worth at least the three copper she paid for the first ohe tooth she needed now, an escape skill she only required levels for, and a glove. She shoved the stone and tooth into the already pretty full pack after all the guardians the team had defeated.

  For the glove, she had an easier way of carrying that. She slid that onto her free hand, finally matg the oo it.

  [Paired?]

  Prompted to select yes or no. Damn, the glove couldn't be too unusual if all it took was equipping it to be matched up to aical one oher hand. Yes, she firmed.

  [Armor and skill acceptable. Pairing now.]

  "What?"

  Strings of energy shot down her arms and lio the decorative bits of armor that covered her, from the fuards to the bits on her chest and parts strapped ts, including her metal-tipped boots. She could feel the magiing and dang along the armor, then it pierced into her soul and right into the [Small Armor] skill.

  She felt like she'd been stabbed. Uh the skill stones, she hadn't prepared herself for this. A single link formed, and it started carving out a hollow spaside her soul. Well, it felt like that. It was more like a bubble was being blown to create a pocket or cave ihe area [Small Armor] took up. The information that came with it was more like crude grunts and sloppy drawings implying keep, repair, strengthen, and wear.

  Harmony gasped, inhaling, but she inhaled more than just the air, and a fullness filled her up. trasting that sensation, a chill tickled her in a way that o when a formerly bit of covered skis exposed. Most of the little clothes she had on were now gone, every bit of armor, and her bare feet rested on the cold earthy ground. Naked! She was naked!

  "Ho ho ho." The dungeon chuckled. "An adventurer never being apart from their gear. What aing sight and achievement for one so young."

  The struggle to maintain her posure right now turned out to be one of the most challenging moments of the day's events. No one was actually ogling her, she reminded herself. The armor was inside her? Why did it have to be -that- armor? Could she undo it? Old Bones certainly wasn't the oo ask. Internally she poked the skill and found herself dressed again.

  Dressed and as the dirt, grime, and blood had been removed in the process of having it appear ba. Even slight scrapes and scuffs looked to be partially repaired.

  "Exg." She mao agree pleasantly.

  "I hope to see you ba my domain after you've solidated yains. But now it is time to bid you goodbye." Old Bones said. The presence of death fluctuated unfortably like it was about to burst forth and cover the world in darkness.

  A portal shimmered open.

  The ce to finally leave outweighed any risk of questioning this mighty dungeon. With a short ine of her head, she hopped through. Hyath followed but released a rudely toned croak just before he passed through the threshold.

  With the portal snapped shut, death and darkness did explode forth as the image of the cute puppyish dog twisted and ed bato the dungeon's natural form of tortured nightmares and wailing souls. Restraining oneself was a tiresome task for the being. Rare was it able to exercise some of the more obscure cuses of the tract that kept it lio this town.