"SINKHOLE!" A spike of earth shot from the ground, piercing through the densest mass of hair to little effect as the hair continued dragging along the edge.
Tom let loose several arrows, two smashed into the floor behind as the hair parted. But one exploded as it hit the floor, a bright flash of light bouncing around the room as flames clung and stretched along the hair.
Zoe grimaced as the mass of hair rushed in to smother the flames, smoke rising from the burnt tar covered hair. It had been several decades since she'd last been in this dungeon and she'd forgotten just how terrible it was. Few things were as effective against the hair as fire was, but it came at a steep cost.
"Oh god!" Jeff shouted, squeezing his nose shut with two fingers.
Tom let out a pained grunt.
The smell. Maybe it was hair's natural defense, like those colourful toads that were full of lethal poison. It wouldn't stop you from taking a bite, but it might stop you from finishing the job.
"Just finish it, Tom. Lets hope for some fire arrows and then get the hell out of here." Jeff's voice as he squished his nose shut was almost goofy enough to let Zoe ignore the terrible smell herself for a moment. Almost.
Tom nodded and drew arrow after arrow, launching it into the coalescing mass of hair. Most pierced through the air, parting it with little impact. Some exploded with different elements, some dripped with different colours of liquids as they hit the floor or wall behind.
One arrow even drew a thin line of air along with it that sliced through the hair as it tried to shift around the arrow's path, which almost seemed as effective as the ones that exploded in flame.
Just as the hair finished drawing itself together into a towering beast like form that Zoe knew to be far more dangerous than a normal boss of this level, Tom let loose one final arrow that exploded in sharp blades of fire. Each blade sliced through the beast's form, ripping hair apart and burning what was left.
The beast of smouldering hair fell in on itself as black tar leaked from the edges of its loose form.
*Ding* You have cleared the Laughing Labyrinth dungeon. Would you like to claim your reward?
"Yes, yes. Please god yes." Jeff's nasally voice shouted.
Zoe pushed her confirmation to the system as well.
*Ding* You have accepted the Laughing Labyrinth dungeon reward. Teleportation will begin in 60 seconds… 59… 58… 57…
Mana swirled in front of the trio, though nobody waited to examine the rewards as Jeff scooped them all up in a bag and rushed out back down the labyrinth tunnels to take a breath of fresh air.
Well, stagnant and murky air with just a hint of rot. But lacking the overwhelming aroma of burnt hair, at least.
"We didn't discuss how we would split this." Tom gasped as they got far enough from the still smouldering pile of hair.
Zoe shook her head. "I'm just here for the achievements, really. I've got enough money, you two can just keep whatever you got."
"You sure?" Jeff rummaged through the bag. "There's some good stuff in here. I think. I can't analyze any of it myself. Looks good though." He pulled out a golden bangle, engraved with various colourful jewels. "This probably does something."
Zoe chuckled. "Probably. I really just need the achievements, though. You never know what the system's going to reward you for."
"So what are you going to do after this?" Tom asked. "Your buffs were really nice to have, honestly."
Zoe hummed. "I don't know what yet. I want an adventure, though. Been in the city too long."
"You could come with us," Jeff suggested. "We were planning to leave in a few weeks."
Tom nodded. "Yeah we wanted to go visit the valleys. Heard people have seen dragons over there."
The valleys sounded interesting to Zoe. It had been quite some time since she'd last tried to speak with a wanderer and Tom had a point. There were dragons over there. Or maybe just one dragon.
Every so often a new person would come wandering up from the valleys, sharing tales of seeing the mystical beasts flying through the skies. They all described the same thing, though. A red winged beast dripping with the very essence of fire itself. Each flap of its wings powerful enough to tear up forests and rip entire cities from the ground.
Were all dragons the same? Zoe had imagined so many different dragons in her childhood. Green and red and blue, all masters of their own element. But nobody described any of those. There was only ever the red fire dragon.
Was that because people had only ever seen the same dragon? Every tale just another glimpse into its life? Or because all dragons were the same harbingers of flame? Maybe it was just a family of red dragons that lived on Abyllan and no other dragons dared step in their home?
She'd only seen the dragon one time, so many years ago with... she couldn't remember the names. They were kind folk, she thought. She'd take extra time with them on her next visit.
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Comparing herself now to the dragon she remembers from back then would be nigh impossible just because of how distant the memory was. Nothing from that far back was truly reliable, not without constant refreshers. She could remember some of the streets from Flester, she could remember meeting Emma at the school, though she couldn't remember the school's name.
But even if it had happened yesterday, Zoe still wouldn't have been able to make the comparison. It was so far beyond her at the time that it simply wasn't comprehensible. Like trying to remember the exact placement of each grain of sand at the beach.
Maybe now if she went to the beach, she'd have the ability to remember every single grain. To comprehend the power the dragon wielded. But now wasn't when she saw the dragon. And she can't remember what she didn't understand.
"Zoe?" Tom asked, standing in the underground cavern that served as the entrance to the Laughing Labyrinth. A gate stood in the centre, with a handful of buildings around them. A healer, a tavern with some beds for resting or planning. A smaller building just to the side of the proper entrance to the labyrinth dedicated to providing information — typically in the form of printed brochures, though there was an attendant for any more specific questions.
"Sorry," Zoe shook herself out of the distraction. There were two issues with following Jeff and Tom into the valleys, but neither were insurmountable.
The first was the result of hiding her abilities. If she was going to the valleys, she wanted to do something new. Take on a little risk to learn something. She wanted to communicate with the wanderers, find their home and maybe live with them for a while. Maybe find a dragon and have a cup of tea with it.
If she had to hide her abilities from these two the entire time, she wouldn't be able to do that. These two could handle defending themselves from a wanderer. Probably. But to communicate with them? No, they would need to go for the kill if they encountered one, with no hesitation.
This was a solvable problem. She could either trust these two and reveal who she was or just leave when she found something interesting. They'd be fine in the valleys on their own, and she could be upfront about maybe vanishing so they wouldn't come to rely on her too much.
The second was the tedium of hiding her abilities. A few days, even a few weeks felt like the blink of an eye to her. But several months of travelling at a snail's pace for the sake of hiding who she was? That was boring and frustrating.
It was necessary to hide her level at times, but she had decided a long time ago that if she were to travel with a group, she would be upfront about who she was and what she could do. If she couldn't do that, she wouldn't travel with them. A dungeon here or there was fine, but if they'd sleep in a tent together they'd know who she was.
Besides, even if they turned out to be weird and spread some rumours all it took was a few years of wearing a disguise before most people tended to forget anyway.
"Uhh, Zoe?" Jeff poked Zoe's shoulder. "You alright?"
"Sorry, sorry. Yes. I get lost in thought sometimes, it's a bad habit of mine. Sure, I'll come along to the valley. You're leaving in a few weeks I think you said?" Zoe asked.
Tom nodded.
"Then sure, sounds like fun. You have any communication skills?" Zoe asked.
"I-" Jeff tried to speak but was shoved aside by Tom.
"No. We do not."
"But-"
"No." Tom said. "Shush." Tom turned to Zoe and let out a deep, tired sigh. "He thinks he can communicate with sinkholes."
Zoe laughed. "Alright, well what day are you leaving?"
"Fifteen days." Jeff said. "We're staying at the crispy skin, you heard of it?"
"I have not but I'm sure I'll find it. See you there in fifteen days then?" Zoe asked.
Tom and Jeff nodded. "Yeah. You staying here for a bit then?"
Zoe smiled and shook her head. "Nope."
A flash of mana raced past her neck, disabling the enchantment obscuring her level just before she teleported back home.
"Uh, Tom?" Jeff asked, staring at the spot their new friend was standing moments prior. To be specific, the area just above her head. For a brief moment, it looked like he saw something impossible.
"Wassup Jeff?" Tom wandered up to the gate. "Guess she's got a teleport skill. Wonder if she can teleport us with it too, that would be convenient."
"You didn't see that?" Jeff stayed motionless, staring at the empty space where he could swear he saw the numbers 513 written out in a pale green he'd never seen before.
"See what?" Tom shrugged. "People teleport all the time, Jeff. I wondered why she didn't seem to be afraid, guess it makes sense that she could've warped out at any moment."
"I-..." Jeff stuttered. "Lets just get back to the inn. I want some time to process today."
Tom laughed. "Yeah I could use a good pillow scream. Today's made me feel real small."
Zoe appeared in her living room a moment later, stretching as she let out a comforting sigh. She laid down on the carpeted floor and relaxed for a moment, letting the stress of the day wash away. Here, she was safe. Safe from prying eyes, from the pressures of society, the expectations people had.
Her hands stretched out over the colourful, soft carpet, grabbing and tugging on some of the loops. Not hard enough to rip them out, but just enough to feel that sensation of sturdiness. The togetherness of her home, the work she'd put into it.
It all grounded her. Brought her back to life. Stripped away the levels and the classes, the unimaginable power she wielded and let her just enjoy existing for a moment. The simple pleasure of being home.
She stood up and walked down the hallway, pausing as she passed one of the doors. An ornate, black door made from some glossy rock she'd found on another planet that was fantastic for enchanting. Mana surged through the door, coursing through the walls beyond. It almost seemed to shimmer with the raw power that filled it.
Zoe pressed her hand into the door and closed her eyes, entering into a state of meditation as she shoved every ounce of mana she could into the enchantments. Behind the door was her most prized possession, a piece of herself. Something she loathed to visit yet couldn't imagine ever losing.
"I'll see you soon," Zoe whispered to the door as she stepped away. The door surging with even more power, the mana within almost threatening to burst.
The kitchen was empty, as were the bedrooms and workshops.
"Ts-ts-ts," Zoe clicked her tongue, summoning a treat to her hand. "Where are you fat boys at?"
The clacking of claws against the wooden floors echoed through the empty home as the two cats came running down the hallways from wherever they'd been hiding. It was a sight Zoe still couldn't get used to. These two cats were over a thousand years old and yet acted as though they'd never aged a day.
Were their brains just not large enough to handle the vastness of time, or was the system doing something it shouldn't be? She wasn't sure, but the two companions helped keep her sane as the years passed.
"I'm gonna get Sally to keep an eye on you two while I go out, alright?" Zoe laid down on the floor with the two cats. "I don't know how long I'll be. Emma and Joe will probably be back before me though so make sure you make a mess of the place. Unless I come back first. Just... be psychic, and figure it out."
"Hmm. It's been a while since I've gone on a real adventure. Lets see," Zoe whispered to the cats. "I've gotta get Sally for you two, make sure your food supply is still good. Fill up the main house enchantment before I leave too."
"Ah!" Zoe snapped her fingers. "I should make a couple enchantments for Tom and Jeff. Something to keep them safe from the wanderer's corruption in case I leave them and they run into trouble. Hmm. You think I should bring an enchanted tent?" She turned and looked at Fennel, closing and opening her eyes in a deliberate, slow gesture.
"Yeah. Enchanted tent. Why not. Lets be comfortable. Oh! Of course, I should also make gifts for the wanderers. Maybe something..." Zoe mumbled to herself as she noticed herself drifting in and out of consciousness.
She yawned and turned over to her side. "Good point fat boys. I can figure it out tomorrow."
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