[NR] Time For A Nap - Chapter 493

Each tuft a delicate puff ball of fibers. Shaped unnaturally so that even the slightest movement would be magnified. All towards triggering a trap with the only limits being the dungeon’s low level.

Even though Rosha’s experience with this sort of trigger was quite low, she could already see improvements that were possible. A lighter material so the shaft could be extended, making it even more of a hair trigger. At the base there could be something trying to push the frond upward, being only kept in place by what little weight it has, so her method of disarming it wouldn’t work.

Any number of small tweaks that could improve the performance. All that, though, is for later. Right now Rosha is focused on disarming the trap as she really doesn’t want another death. Sure, some parties going for this might end up wiping multiple times or if natives, vanishing without a trace. She didn’t want that legacy.

The first time was a surprise and no one could really blame her. To fail for a second time? Even after knowing what she would be facing? Unacceptable!

While Rosha tried not to believe in the whole “bloodline” nonsense and the belief that she should be better than others because of who her parents were. There was still a speck of truth to it. Maybe it wasn’t genetic, but she was raised better and with more training to handle whatever NeoRealm might throw at her.

Of course, her choosing to be a ranger was very much not the path either of her parents had foreseen. Her father, of course tried to force her down the healer’s path. Can’t have his baby girl fighting on the front lines! Plus, a good healer was worth more than almost any other role.

As for Rosha’s mother? Well, she tried to let Rosha forge her own path, but you could tell what she wanted. Maybe not a tank, but her mother certainly hinted towards how fun it was to play a more paladin like role. Well, let’s be honest, She wanted Rosha to be a barbarian just like her.

It was just that paladin was the best choice that wouldn’t peeve her husband too much. Though in the end, the mother’s attempts were more in line with trying to share her own experiences with her daughter. Not some attempt at making a valuable commodity.

Either way, it took Rosha a lot of work to get where she was now. No tutor would touch on ranged combat and certainly not even the most basic of outdoorsmanship. She wasn’t even taught how to light a fire as it was assumed she would either be able to use magic for it or at least be along with a proper party to do it for her.

The tutorial was the first time she had even held a bow and her time with James the first actual lessons on how to handle traps and tracking. Still, this was what she wanted. Though Rosha did find it somewhat hilarious that she ended up being a white rabbitkin while Courtney ended up the pantherkin. Almost a complete reversal of the common tropes there.

Rosha could even admit to herself that being a pantherkin would have mechanically been the better choice. The stealth and shadow aspects of the race are very favorable to her goals. But no, she was going to be a rabbitkin come hell or high water. Though maybe a nice brown fur would have been a better choice.

Either way, Rosha was prepared to handle whatever the game threw at her. So how could a fluffy frond stop her? Well, quite easily as the last time showed. This time, though, she was ready.

One frond at a time, Rosha crept her way forward and clipped them off. After a few, the stress started to get to her, but this time she knew better and took a break. Such a simple thing and yet it might have saved her last time.

Rosha was even certain that at some point her tutors had stressed exactly this point to her. Though as with many mistakes, sometimes it takes burning your hand to realize the stove is hot. Well, this trap did worse than just burn her hand so she had learned quite a lot.

For instance, the dungeon had attached too many pressure related triggers together. This made for an absurd volume of the oil inside being spread out way too much. Even if the frond was removed, there would still be a moment of time in which you could plug it and the trap wouldn’t notice.

A single moment where even if some of the liquid had escaped, the trap wouldn’t be set off. So of course since the effort was put in to explain this, Rosha didn’t get away scot free with disarming the fronds. Another one managed to disconnect on her, but thankfully it was right next to her on the wall.

This gave her just enough time to grab a small wad of clay she had stuck to the back of her hand and plug the hole. Though only the hole, as to plug too much, it would in turn block the tubing, which was another method the trap was using to detect things.

Crisis averted, Rosha admits to herself that even a standing nap wasn’t cutting it, so she retreated out of the guts of the trap. Then, after a quick regroup with the others, they stood guard as she caught a few moments of shut eye. More of a nap than actual sleep, but enough to re-energize herself despite the sameness of it all.

After that Rosha manages to finish disarming all 27 fronds the dungeon had placed. Though at that point the System showed that night had well and truly arrived. So no more naps, instead, it was time for full-blown sleep.

Rosha was close now though and there was that small corner of her brain saying she could just finish this all right now. She successfully ignores that self destructive thought and with the rest, gets a good nights sleep.