48 Little One(1)
Talk - " "
Think + abilities/passives names - [ ]
System - ( )
Author thought - [[ ]]
Action - * *
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"Poke... Poke.... Poke.... Poke.... .... ..... ..... ..... ... poke?" A massive black beast with razor-sharp claws and a terrifying gray skull head, resembling a fusion of a bear and a wolf, instilled fear so profound that it could reduce children to tears upon sight. Even most adults would regard this creature as a menacing and malevolent demon if they ever laid eyes upon this beast.
However, at the same time, this very same black beast was currently behaving like a mischievous child. It made playful attempts to irritate the silent demon girl cradled in its arms, whether by gently poking her cheeks with its finger, tousling her hair, or even attempting to tickle her.
Almost nothing works. However, looking at the keyword in the last sentence, 'Almost'. There was a slight reaction when the black beast brought out more food, which it promptly seized upon, taking full advantage of the opportunity to engage with the girl in this manner. Either she was just really hungry or had some sort of trauma, the girl always had a twinkle in her eyes.
Since the readers are aware of the black beast's true identity, they can observe Alex's efforts to comfort the little girl by offering her small morsels of food. Despite having been satiated by the apples earlier, she clung tightly to the food, refusing to release it when Alex attempted to retrieve it. She quite literally had a death grip on the food.
Other than that, Alex just felt sad as he looked closer at the girl. There were numerous scars, bruises, and there were still some cuts on her body that appeared to be infected. Thankfully he had [Healing Grace] but it was too weak to do much.
If Alex solely relied on [Healing Grace] to address the girl's injuries, it was evident that the remaining wounds on her body would likely fester or pose a risk of infection, but he had [Sterilization Touch] for that. Given the accelerated healing rate provided by the spell, a small cut that would typically take a minimum of four days to heal would require only two days under its influence.
Despite its effectiveness with minor injuries, Alex harbored doubts about whether [Healing Grace] could adequately address the more severe damage, evident from the swelling in the girl's ankles and wrists, and the very apparent bruise areas. He carefully searched his [Inventory] for any item that might provide assistance, but to his dismay, found nothing suitable.
But he had his system [Shop] and 1642 points to spend. Since some of his summons come from a more modern and technologically advanced world, he searched for medicines specifically designed to address swelling and infections. With ease, he found the necessary items and promptly purchased them, along with some bandages for additional aid. [[ 1 ]]
After acquiring two small bottles of medicine and bandages for a mere 30 SP, Alex queried Alexa about the system's pricing mechanism. She explained that the prices of items in the [Shop] were determined by their real-world counterparts, correlating with their original cost with a bit more calculations in effect to determine final prices.
In the system [Shop], items are priced based on their real-world counterparts but may vary significantly in cost due to differences in availability, production, and other factors. Therefore, medicine from Ethan's universe, which is very high quality compared to Alex's home world, might typically cost $17, could be priced at 5 SP in the system [Shop]. Due to it being cheap to make in Ethan's universe.
Indeed, if Alex were to search within the MQ-27-DragonFire world for a similar high-quality medicine, it might actually be more expensive to purchase. This could be attributed to the fact that it is produced in a less advanced medicinal and technological world compared to Ethan's universe, resulting in higher production costs. Consequently, the same type of medication could potentially cost around 20 SP within the system [Shop].
With a mental note to explore each section unlocked by his summons when he had free time to browse through his [Shop], Alex instructed Bella and Artin to assist him in cleaning up the girl before they began wrapping her in bandages. Recognizing the urgent need for hygiene, they made their way to a nearby river, a 15-minute walk away, where they could give the girl a much-needed bath.
Despite their initial reluctance to assist a demon and their discomfort with the situation, Bella and Artin couldn't ignore the fact that the girl was just a child in need of help. With soap from Alex and determination to aid her, they set about cleaning the girl while Alex and the others remained on guard, ensuring their safety.
After a short while, the girls finished bathing the little girl, and the group reconvened. The transformation was remarkable; freed from grime and filth, the girl's appearance markedly improved. Instead of wearing tattered rags, Alex had purchased a plain black dress and some additional clothing for her to wear, for 10 SP. Now, she looked much more presentable and comfortable.
So with her arms and legs fully covered in bandages, courtesy of Ethan and the girls' assistance, the little girl was now properly tended to. Satisfied that she was comfortable and safe, Alex gently lifted her and placed her on his shoulder, opting to carry her for the time being.
Throughout the journey back to Alex's dungeon, the girl remained silent, but a small smile graced her lips, unnoticed by the others. She nestled her body against Alex's head, finding comfort in the proximity to him. Despite the hard, bony, and cold surface, which might have been uncomfortable for others, it provided a sense of warmth and security for the little girl when she was with him.
As they arrived back at the dungeon without encountering any disturbances during their peaceful walk through the forest, Alex carefully lifted the quiet girl off his shoulder, realizing it wasn't the right time to ask her questions as she fell asleep. Instead, he cradled her gently in his arms and decided it was an opportune moment to show the others his new dungeon.
With the fire in his dungeon finally extinguished, leaving only residual smoke dissipating into the air, Alex led the others through the entrance for a small tour.
Despite their anticipation, the tour of the first floor proved to be brief and uneventful. Other than a long cave tunnel leading to a small cavern, where Alex could stand fully, the floor was entirely empty, offering little of interest to see.
The lackluster experience on the first floor was quickly forgotten upon reaching the second floor, where they were greeted by a stunning sight. Despite their brief stay on the second floor due to its extreme cold, they were now surrounded by an expansive snowy landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see, leaving them in awe.
A cool thing that, Alex possess, is the ability to command his dungeon creatures as he saw fit. For example, he could order one of the polar bears from the second floor to approach him and allow him to pet it.
And he exactly did that. So while everyone else went back to the first floor to warm back up, Alex did something that he awalys wanted to do before he died. Pet a polar bear. And God damn did he enjoy doing it.
With the still sleeping demon girl cradled in one arm, wrapped snugly in blankets, that barely revealed her face, and for the mere cost of 5 SP. Alex used his other arm to give belly rubs to a polar bear, enjoying the unique experience of interacting with the creatures within his dungeon.
A amazing perk of being a dungeon master.
After satisfying his urge to pet the polar bear, Alex returned outside where everyone was waiting. With little else to discuss or do at his dungeon for now, they decided to head back. Artin and Bella were fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit, considering their work obligations. Meanwhile, Trebor needed to fulfill his weekly quota of quests as part of his duties as an F-rank adventurer.
Before their departure, Alex urged Warren and Akitaruto to follow in Trebor's footsteps and pursue the path of becoming adventurers. Recognizing the potential danger of being targeted due to his current demonic-like appearance, Alex also decided to distribute all of his coins among them. He believed that the others could make better use of the money than he could, especially considering his limited utility for it within his [Inventory].
With the decision made, only Ethan, the panther, the Fjordhawk, the Tall-Neck, and the MQ-27-DragonFire would remain with Alex. But Alex allowed them to explore the surroundings a bit more before committing to any significant ventures outside his dungeon and to fill out his [Map] more to get a better understanding of the area.
Now the little girl. Alex wanted Artin and Bella to take care of the little demon girl. However, from what Artin and Bella, they told him of the societal stance on demons, which typically involved their elimination or 'purification' at a church. Any attempts to conceal her demon heritage, the aura of a demon could be discerned by individuals sensitive to mana, such as elves, posing a significant risk to the girl's safety.
With no immediate solution to conceal the girl's aura, it was decided that she would remain under Alex's care for the time being. With this arrangement settled, the group departed back to the village of 'Mosshorn'.
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[[ 1 ]] - [Shop] Info - The shop will be locked until Alex summons something. Once Alex does the summon, the shop will only unlock items from the summon universe. For example, If he were to summon something from Ark, he could only purchase items from Ark, like Flak armor, Tek items, etc.
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Thanks for reading
Comment on any mistakes or changes I should make
Oh, you guys can choose a new name for our Panther and Fjordhawk. If not, in the next 2 chapters, I'll make the names.
