Companionship

Once Kaia finished resting, she and Cairn picked a path and made their way further into the Dungeon's interior. The cores of most Dungeons were located in their deepest regions, so a general rule of thumb when delving was to choose routes that led deeper underground. The monsters within also had an instinctual drive to protect the Dungeon Core, so by studying their behavior and the rate at which they spawned, you would eventually reach your destination, the 'Guardian's Chamber.'

Nearly eleven hours after their journey had begun, Cairn and Kaia found themselves before a pair of intricately carved stone doors more than ten meters in height. The pattern etched into its surface resembled the visage of a rat with four faintly glowing eyes. Around the permitter, runic text pulsated with a bluish-white glow, initially appearing illegible but quickly becoming readable thanks to a perpetual translation charm cast upon it.

Passing his gaze over the inscription, Cairn read aloud, "Only four souls may tread this path. Set thy hands upon the stone. As one, declare thine intent..."

"This same text can be found within most Dungeons," revealed Kaia. "As it says, only four people may enter and challenge the Guardian within. Once a challenge has begun, the room becomes inaccessible through ordinary means. Only once the Guardian or its challengers have been defeated will others be able to venture inside."

"It's weird, though," said Cairn. "Even now, when I check the Dungeon's information, it doesn't list anything like a Guardian among the monsters. There is an Epic monster called the [Treasure-Hoarding Chinchilla], but it is listed among the standard enemies."

"That's not unusual in Dungeons that are cleaned frequently," contended Kaia. "A tremendous amount of Mana and Life Essence is required to form the Guardian. It typically takes weeks for a Guardian to reform after being defeated. In overharvested Dungeons like this, it can take months, maybe even years, for a new Guardian to appear."

"So what's waiting for us on the other side?" asked Cairn. "A boatload of ordinary monsters...?"

Nodding in affirmation, Kaia replied, "That is usually the case. How many, I cannot say."

"Then I'll leave the decision to you," said Cairn. "You've been doing most of the work since we entered the Dungeon, so unless you're confident, we can either turn back or explore elsewhere."

"You said our priority was getting you to Level 10," said Kaia. "You've only attained Level 5 thus far, so we shouldn't return just yet..."

"For me to reach Level 10, we'd have to defeat twice the number of rats we've hunted thus far," contended Cairn. "I doubt there are more than a thousand rats behind these doors, but if there are, we should get you close to Level 13 before venturing inside. That way, you can get a second wind by Leveling up in the middle of the fight."

Smiling wryly, Kaia remarked, "I never imagined using the 'Grace of the Goddess' in such a way..."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind," said Cairn, following his words by pulling out his decanter to wet his mouth and throat. When he was done, he handed it to Kaia, allowing her to do the same before they sat with their backs to the cool Dungeon wall. The upper levels had been hot and muggy, but as they delved deeper, the temperature had decreased to the point that tiny ice crystals could be seen on the bioluminescent moss covering much of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Are you cold...?" asked Kaia, noticing Cairn periodically opening and closing his hands, ostensibly to maintain blood flow.

Though he could guess how things might play out if he responded in the affirmative, Cairn replied, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

As excellent as the Shadowsilk Set was, its breathability was comparable to ordinary silk. This prevented Cairn from overheating from exertion, but once he settled down, it became incredibly chilly. It didn't help that a thin mist of icy condensation permeated much of the floor they were on.

"Do you want to use my stomach?" asked Kaia. "I could also lend you my waistcloth."

"Use your stomach?" parroted Cairn, his expression and tone making his confusion apparent.

Nodding in affirmation, Kaia explained, "The fur on the underside of my lower body is incredibly soft and has heat-retention properties. If you put your hands in it, they should warm up quickly."

"That...doesn't seem appropriate..." replied Cairn, an awkward smile adorning his face.

Tilting her head to the side, Kaia questioned, "What do you mean?" before recalling how Cairn behaved in the bathhouse. She and Asim could tell he was uncomfortable, but neither fully understood why. They just chalked it up to Cairn being overly conscientious or simply shy.

Shaking his head, Cairn explained, "Back in my world, personal space was a pretty big deal. If you made people feel unsafe or touched them without their permission, it could get you in a lot of trouble..."

"But this isn't your world, and I gave you permission," noted Kaia, leaving Cairn at a loss for words.

"You're...not wrong..." conceded Cairn. As a result, Kaia abruptly got up, leaving him at an even greater loss for words as she stood before him and said, "Straighten out your legs." in a no-nonsense tone.

Though his initial instinct was to refuse, Cairn eventually did as he was told, straightening his legs. When he did, Kaia caused his entire body to tense as she abruptly hopped onto his legs, sitting atop his shins as she placed her forelimbs on his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his head, warming his face with her stomach. Then, in a similarly stern tone, she said, "Place your hands in my fur, just under my forelimbs."

Doing as he was told, Cairn sank his fingers into the dense fur lining the 'chest' of Kaia's lower body. He felt uncomfortable being told what to do, but feeling Kaia's warmth and having his head embraced made his nerves settle surprisingly quickly.

"See? It's not that big a deal," said Kaia, shifting her position so that she could sit more comfortably. In truth, their arrangement caused even her to feel a little apprehensive, but she had the impression Cairn would have refused if she had been less direct.

Fortunately for Kaia, Cairn interpreted her accelerated heart rate to be a byproduct of her Karakut Physiology. Rabbits were known to have faster-than-average heart rates. She also had two hearts, one in her torso and a second in her lower chest cavity, so he didn't really have a reference point for what her 'normal' heart rate was...

...

..

.

Though Kaia defeated most of the Naked Horned Rats they encountered, Cairn gradually got the hang of killing them. To be more exact, Kaia had lent him her shield and told him to focus on stabbing the fleshier bits of their body rather than trying to slash them across their durable, mineral-covered bodies. Thanks to that, not only was he able to kill the rats more efficiently, he even picked up Shield and Sword Mastery.

-----------------------------

Name: Adam Masterson

IWN: Cairn

Title: Rat Killer(Increases Damage Against Rodent-Type Monsters by 10%)

Class: [Jack-of-All]

[Attributes]

Level: 1->6(9,938/14,382)

HP: 408/540

MP: 210/210

Str: 6->10

Agi: 20->21

Vit: 10->20

Int: 10

Dex: 20->21

Cha: 40->50(A/N: Hehe, boi...)

Talents: [Slow Start, Endless Potential(6/100)], [Never Say Die(MAX)], [I Can Do It Too(-/10)], [Sword Mastery(2/100)], [Shield Mastery(1/100)]

Skills: [Insight(MAX): 1MP], [Sophistry(1/10): 50MP], [Penny-Pinch(1/10): 50MP], [Gamble(1/10): 10MP]

-----------------------------

As for Kaia...

--------------------------

Name: Kai'ankh

Species: Karukut

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Title: Neophyte(Talent Rate+100%)

Class: Neophyte(Rare)

[Attributes]

Level: 12/88(41,995/42,428)[Neophyte(12)]

HP: 1,749/2,920

MP: 4,335/7,905

Str: 19->20

Agi: 98+54->103+57

Vit: 75+16->80+18

Int: 118+26->125+30

Dex: 53->55

Cha: 67+15->69+16

Talent(s): [Goddess of Light's Blessing(11->12/20)], [Corruption Resistance(11->12/20), [Karakut Physiology(11->12/88)], [Hunting(22/83), [Spearmanship(14->17/76)], [Shield Mastery(11->13/64)], [Throwing(9/39)]

Skill(s): [Light Healing(7/10)], [Purification(4/10)], [Strong Kick(8/10], [Leap(8/10)], [Charge(6->7/10)], [Shield Bash(4->6/10)], [Fling(5/10), [Piercing Blow(3/10)], [Javelin Toss(3/10)]

--------------------------

"Man, your MP is increasing at a monstrous rate," said Cairn, perusing his and Kaia's status during one of their breaks.

"It's thanks to the grace of Lady Restia," asserted Kaia. Her [Goddess of Light's Blessing] doubled her base MP while increasing the potency of Light Magic. However, were it not for her inordinately high Int, she would have been closer to Asim's 6,200.

"Well, regardless, you would benefit from learning some attack spells in the future," argued Cairn. "As useful as [Shield Bash] is, I can't imagine it being better than wide-range attack magic."

"..."

Though she could see the logic in Cairn's words, a conflicted look marred Kaia's face. Karakuts were hunters and warriors, so while she was beyond thankful to have been chosen as one of Restia's representatives, she was planning to become a Huntress or Dragoon once she came of age. There were Mages and Shamanka among her kin, but among the 63 members of her Tribe, there were only two of each, a Master and their Apprentice. She was the 'only' Neophyte, but her dream was to be a powerful warrior...

Sensing something was off due to the awkward silence, Cairn raised his face from Kaia's soft and fragrant abdomen, staring up at her as he asked, "What's up? Magic not your thing...?"

"Not really..." admitted Kaia, forcing a smile as she added, "But if you think it would benefit us in the long term, I could try and learn."

"Nah, don't worry about it," said Cairn. "Efficiency is good and all, but real strength comes from pursuing your preferred path. I'm sure we'll recruit a Mage at some point, so just focus on doing your own thing."

"I will..." replied Kaia, a faint smile developing across her face before she abruptly forced Cairn's back into her stomach. It was really awkward, but as it was already the seventh time he had ended up buried beneath Kaia's fluff, Cairn just closed his eyes and tolerated it. It got a little stuffy after around ten minutes, but with the cold stone of the Dungeon at his back, it wasn't unbearable. Rather, before he knew it, he had dozed off, prompting Kaia to exhale a sigh as the tension gradually left her body...

...

..

.

"Are you sure you're ready?" asked Cairn. "My stats are still shit-tier, so the most I can do is run around, pick off stragglers, and try to avoid being surrounded."

"I'm confident," replied Kaia, her expression and tone resolute. She was also concerned about Cairn being swarmed, but he had already entrusted her his [Tears of the Goddess]. Even if he fell, she would be able to revive him so long as the remaining rats were defeated.

"Then let's go," said Cairn, placing his hand on the colossal stone doors leading to the Guardian's Chamber. Kaia mirrored his actions, and after a three-second count, both shouted, "We wish to challenge the Guardian!"

In less time than it took to blink, Cairn and Kaia found themselves in a large square chamber approximately fifty meters long, twenty wide, and twenty tall. The walls were covered in strange murals and untranslated ancient runes, but neither had time to observe their surroundings as their gazes were drawn to the neatly arranged 'formation' of rats occupying the other side of the room.

As if they had been in a deep sleep before Cairn's and Kaia's arrival, the eyes of the rats lit up as they stood in unison. Since they were lined up in rows and columns twenty wide and fifteen deep, Cairn calculated there were 300 of the nearly identical rats present, causing his throat to feel dry until Kaia abruptly released a war cry and charged directly at the still motionless troupe. She was equally astonished by the number of rats present, but as their only way out of the chamber was victory or defeat, the latter meaning death, she had no time for hesitation or doubt. She did, however, make a mental note to learn and master at least one wide-range attack spell or a more powerful version of Shield Bash. Goddess knows it would make things easier...

...

..

.

(A/N: A whole lot of fluff in this chapter (O w O). Also, if you're enjoying the story and want me to maintain/increase the current release rate, please consider sharing the novel and adding it to your Library. I really want this to become a long-term project like EPIC, so if more people are contributing to the story and providing feedback, it becomes a lot easier to maintain my motivation.)