Chương 59: Treasure Time 2: Not A Jerk Edition

We reappear in a blank white room. It sort of reminds me of the pinnacle, though far more real. Sitting in front of us is a large chest, one definitely loaded with treasures. Behind the chest lies two doors. One of the doors looks like it leads out into a fiery place undoubtedly teeming with monsters. In essence, the door we go through to continue climbing. The other door has an image of what I imagine is the outside world. I recognize the view from when I was a bit outside of Carnia.

Guess if we wanted to leave, that would be the door out.

"Here, take this." Ari says and tosses me a potion.

"It uh, isn't too fancy, but it should help with your arm, I think. I've only had to test it on an eye thus far." I catch the potion and Identify says that it is an Initiate Potion of Major Regeneration. I haven't really paid that much attention to the potions I have been taking, but there are differences between them. Though of course, there are general categories of them. For instance, a healing potion is generally going to heal you. While a stamina potion is going to give you more stamina.

The types that just give resources are generally called restoration, or something similar. There are all sorts of other effects beyond merely restoring resources that can be attached to them though. In the case of this regeneration one, it does provide healing, but does not actually restore health points. Instead, as I drink it, my health points start to rapidly decrease, which hurts just a bit. But as I glance down at the stump of my arm, I watch it rapidly start to well, regenerate.

Guess it is kinda in the name, huh? It is very strange to watch my arm rebuild itself. First the bone appears, and then it is like my muscles and stuff grow down to surround it. Then, lagging behind like the runt of the litter comes the skin. I can't help but be transfixed and end up watching the whole process, which takes maybe seven minutes. Luckily it would seem that Ari was equally as transfixed.

"Intriguing. That was quite a bit faster than I theorized. Do you have some sort of skill that improves healing? Skill-potion interactions can be quite strange and unpredictable at times, do be careful with that."

"Yip yip." Luma says from my shoulder, agreeing wholeheartedly. As if it isn't her ability that is making me heal faster.

"Yeah I have a spirit that makes healing faster. I don't think you can see her though. it requires a skill or something cause she hasn't learned how to make herself visible to all." I explain.

"Neat." Ari says and then turns around to stare at the treasure chest.

"Now for the best part of dungeon diving: the loot! Do you want to do the honors? It would only be fair, since uh..." I laugh and walk up to the chest. If she wants to let me open it, I am not going to complain. Though I definitely won't be stealing the honor every single time. Upon trying to open it, I get a message asking me if I want to share the loot or take it all for myself. Which is quite an interesting thing to ask, but I am not a greedy asshat, so I naturally pick the sharing option.

'Ding', You have received shared rewards. Personal contributions: 57% Rewards received: Major Caverns of Ignistone Treasure Seal (Rare), 8 units of Lucient Scale (Uncommon), Assorted potions, Firesteel Boots (Inferior), 274 silver coins. Neat, the items even appeared right into my storage. Guess that helps if one of the rewards is really heavy or something. Plus it means I don't even have to inspect them, and can just pull up the details right away. Which I do for the seal, scale and boots.

Major Caverns of Ignistone Treasure Seal (Rare) This seal contains great power within. Upon finding any treasure chest within the dungeon: Caverns of Ignistone, you may apply this seal. Upon doing so, the rewards inside will be increased by a single tier, on average. This may not be used on floor completion chests. It will also not work inside any other dungeon, however it may be used by other divers if given to them. Lucient Scale (Uncommon) This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

While the beast they originated from was massive, each individual scale is quite small. They are also quite flexible and hard to pierce. As they are also the scales of a drake, they are naturally fire and arcane resistant. However they are quite brittle when exposed to astral magic. Firesteel Boots (Inferior) Basic boots made out of firesteel. They aren't especially fancy, but they do keep your tootsies from burning off. Though don't try walking in lava or anything crazy like that. Trust me, it won't end well.

"So, what'd you get?" Ari asks, "I got some materials mostly, and a cool gemstone that seems useful for storing mana. Pretty basic stuff, really. But you did a lot more in that fight, plus the dungeon always gives more rewards the first time, to entice people to dive more I guess." I shrug, "I got this weird seal thingy, some potions, materials and some basic boots. Pretty decent, but nothing too crazy." I say, the rewards don't seem to be worth that much normally.

But to me they are of course a bit more valuable, those scales for instance seem great for making some equipment with. The boots may be basic, but they sure beat the starting ones that I have now. As for the seal, well…

"Wait!? A treasure seal? Those things are like, super duper uper rare." Ari says, freaking out just a tad.

"They are practically priceless, as they are just that ridiculously overpowered."

"Welp, guess I am just lucky then." She snorts, "That is one way to put it. We gotta reach the top of this dungeon now, just imagine if you used that on one of the higher floors!" I smile, "Do you really think we can get that high? This is my first time in a dungeon, so I really have no clue how bad it can get."

"Oh, uh, probably not actually. This is only my third one, and last time I died on the seventh floor. Though we might make it to the tenth." Ari says, sounding a bit disappointed, hope I didn't make her sad by stating the obvious.

"Well I am all for trying. How many floors are there to this thing anyways? I read that there can be quite a lot."

"Hmm, the highest floor recorded for this specific one was twenty two, but no one has ever reached the top. Very few dungeons have ever been beaten, actually. Most are around thirty to forty floors, I would guess. Though I bet there are some truly massive ones lurking out in the wilds." With all of that sorted, Ari says that she needs a minute to make some more potions and whatnot. This room is conveniently safe for us to remain in for as long as we want, to recover and whatnot I suppose.

So we do just that, and set up a small camp off to the side.

"So bro, you wouldn't happen to know how to cook, would you?" Ari asks as she glares at the campfire.

"I can make jerky, that's 'bout it." I say, "What's with the bro by the way?"

"Dunno, it kinda just slipped out. Should I call you sir instead? That feels a bit formal though, pretty sure I'm older than you too…" I snort at that, no way she is older than me, right? I can tell we are around the same age though, but if I had to guess, I would put her around twenty five years old. Maybe she just sees me as younger because I am new to this world and less knowledgeable? That would make sense.

"Orn works just fine." I say in response to her other question.

"I agree, formalities do sound weird, but as does being too casual. How about we just stick to names?"

"Works for me, Orn." Ari says and then summons some very stale looking bread from her storage. I can almost hear the sadness as she bites into it. I pull some much fresher, and higher quality I imagine, bread that I just bought out. I offer her a loaf of it.

"No offense, but perhaps you should eat this instead."

"Thanks." She says as she takes the loaf. The general feeling is far happier as she bites into it. It is quite good bread, I wouldn't even be surprised if she is smiling under that helmet of hers. Speaking of the helmet, "So uh, sorry if this is like a rude question. But is there a reason you always wear that armor?" Ari stiffens and glances away from me.

"There is a reason. I am not going to tell you what it is, though. Don't worry though, I designed the armor so that I can stay in it for months at a time, if necessary. It's better that way." We don't speak after that point. Guess I kinda spoiled the mood, whoops. Ari doesn't seem that bothered though and after she eats she starts doing some alchemy. She even lets me watch! Though I understand absolutely none of it. She has a cauldron and a heating device to boil some water.

Then she throws a bunch of precisely portioned ingredients in, throws in some magic, and boom, a potion appears. Literally, all of the liquid just disappears and a bottle appears. Magic truly is odd. Apparently certain objects have some magical particles called essentia or something. Ari explains that by mixing them and whatnot, she can make various effects. She compares the process to making alloys, just more potion-y. The process is definitely interesting, but I think that is only because I like magic.

No inner desire to be an alchemist is awakened inside of me or anything. So I just sit there and watch her work, she seems quite happy and even hums a lovely tune while working. She is still using crafting magic of course, so it is quite taxing. Afterwards she has to rest for a few hours, but not in the forceful way that I have had to thus far. Apparently when mass producing a blueprint that you have already made, it is far easier, and you can even improve the more you do it.

Which is less useful for me as a smith, given how most of my pieces are likely to be unique. But I can see how it is quite convenient for classes more tailored to producing a lot of similar things, like alchemists. Seeing as Ari decided to take a nap, I do the same. One can never be too rested. We have quite a lot of hard work ahead of us, after all.