Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Visit to the surface

When the rest of the expedition came down, the visitors had already collected the remains of the victims. Everything had gone much faster than the mole-beings had imagined.

"It's over there. Can you really block the other side of the tunnel?" Vato asked.

That was one of their concerns. Clearing the other side of the tunnel would take a long time, and not doing so would be a danger to the mole-beings. They wanted to take the opportunity to collect, and try to secure this side of the tunnel. With vibration detectors, they could tell if a dangerous being appeared, but it wasn't enough if there were too many enemies.

Thanks to these devices, casualties due to unexpected attacks had been greatly reduced. In fact, there hadn't been any in recent months.

Before Eldi's arrival, they had a few old ones placed in key spots, and some much less reliable homemade ones. Thanks to the high human teachings, they had been able to recover the manufacture of these, from old, well-kept recipes. Blacksmiths not only knew how to make weapons and armor, but also some artifacts.

Therefore, they had been placing them in all the tunnels, and intended to do so in these as well. If they were warned before their enemy even reached the tunnel, they could subjugate a level 60 enemy without any casualties. Strategy, collaboration and numbers were enough to overcome that difference in level against an enemy that would still be half buried.

"Sure. I'll put up a few walls," Eldi assured.

He began creating Rock Walls that were taller and more expensive than usual. It was also slower, but he had to block the entire tunnel. With the help of Permanent, they wouldn't disappear, something that amazed the mole-beings. For them, such a skill would be very useful, but it was too advanced for their level.

"You can put on the next one now," Tica requested him, as she waved her hand after a while.

In the end, the young mole-woman had gotten her way. Even though they didn't want to let her be there, they couldn't stop her.

She was very valuable, since the rest of the alchemists were much younger and with less mana. However, Tica had refused to stay, to let her job be a punishment.

Plus, she was the best at placing detectors. The structure made by the blacksmiths was only part of those kind of artifacts. They contained a liquid that she had distilled herself, and no one configured them more precisely. That was precisely what she had just done. They placed them between walls, to detect sooner if something tried to cross them.

In the end, Eldi ended up erecting three consecutive barriers, the first of which was double. By doing so, he had spent quite a bit of mana, which he couldn't easily recover. The level of the area was a bit low for a level 100.

"I'm going to recover some mana. Come look for me in half an hour," he asked.

He could leave an Exit Gate, but they were going to continue moving forward.

"Don't forget Tica," Fita mocked.

"I was already going..." the young alchemist sulked.

Although the truth is that she was a little scared. She had promised that she would continue making potions with the help of the visitors, but going to a place on the surface terrified her. It just relieved her a little that she would be indoors, so she didn't need to see the sky.

Tica crossed the Gate after Eldi, and stood behind him, timidly. She was looking at the ceiling restlessly, her eyes squinting due to the amount of light. It was amazing to her how bright everything was there.

"You must be Tica. Come, I'll take you to the crafting room," Diknsa offered when they arrived. "Is everything okay down there?"

"No problem for now," Eldi assured, while he gave a bag of materials to Tica. "Go with her. She's Diknsa, I've already told you about her."

At first, Eldi had thought about accompanying her the entire time, but the old mole-woman had convinced him otherwise. As scary as it was to be on the surface, the young girl had to get used to it, or return home.

Tica looked at Eldi, who smiled and nodded. So, she had no choice but to follow that other ugly and red surface dweller, while trying to contain her fear.

She was startled a few times when seeing other inhabitants of the mansion, who were looking at her curiously. Tica couldn't help but admire and feel self-conscious at the size of the building and the great amount of light. Finally, they reached the crafting room, outside of which some children were playing. They had spent their mana, and were having fun while waiting to recover it back.

"Who're you? Why're you so ugly?" a vampiress girl with rabbit ears asked.

"U... Ugly?" Tica was surprised, though not scared.

At least, that girl, although horrible, seemed harmless. She was shorter than her, and her level was much lower than hers. She was very different from Diknsa, or the others the mole-woman had come across. All of them far surpassed her, they were terrifying.

"Yeah. You have wrinkles on your face. And that hair... Your ears are very small, and your nose and eyes..." the girl reaffirmed herself.

"In my town, many envy my nose," Tica said, touching it, somewhat offended.

"In your town? Are there more like you? What're they like?" a blue-skinned vampire boy then asked.

"Ah... this..."

"She has to work now. Ask her when she's done," Diknsa intervened.

"Do you also do crafting? What do you do?" another child asked with interest, a dwarf.

"Alchemy," Tica responded, somewhat overwhelmed.

She couldn't help thinking that children were the same everywhere, even if the ones here were a bit ugly. Well, they think she was ugly too.

"Ah! Like me! Can I look?" the girl with rabbit ears asked.

"Whatever you want..."

"Show her the platform. Eldi will come pick you up in half an hour," she asked the girl as she left Tica with her.

"Okay!" the girl exclaimed.

Even though the girl had said that she was ugly, she had no qualms about holding the mole-woman's hand. Tica didn't resist, and let herself be dragged to the platform. There, apart from making some potions, she had to answer the unending girl's questions, and even teach her some recipes.

Diknsa watched by using the mansion's surveillance system, a smile on her lips.

"Nothing like children to break the ice," she assured.

"Ha, ha. She has completely fallen into your trap," Eldi laughed. He was explaining to those present the latest events in the underground.

"No one resists the charm of my beautiful granddaughter!" Coinin smiled proudly, and clearly amused.

Without a doubt, these beings were as strange as Eldi had described them, but, on the inside, they weren't that different. Tica's patience with the girl was a clear demonstration.