Daily Short: Eve 01

I am substituting Eve's shorts for Matt's for the foreseeable future. Kyo will remain unchanged because I like fluffy things and the chapters heal fatigue.

Tues: Eve short
Thurs: Kyo
Sund: Eve Main chapter


ACT 963161069-26889.20.03-Eve-Smith-Silver Prime


Eve had been wandering for several minutes. The ceiling height was nearly ten meters above her, according to a thread of Witch’s Dust. Moss covered the brown walls as she moved within the so-called Dungeon of Oro Oro. The grass was the only indication that she might be ascending instead of descending. She found large and small patches of the hardy plant in many rooms. It added a splash of color lit by the phosphorescence above that mimicked sunlight.

The wall in the large room she was examining started crumbling, revealing many ants. They gathered into a tide before rushing forward. With no intention of being overwhelmed, Eve stepped back into the corridor, letting the tunnel act as a natural choke point. Crystal Core allowed calculating angles to be trivial. Her Jian slashed with casual ease as she split the heads of her attackers. Within a few minutes, magic crystals remained in the corridor.

“Is the only thing around here, Ants?” Eve muttered, annoyed. As if summoned by the words, a strange humanoid figure appeared. It had three triangles and a single eye. She tilted her head in confusion as a hand with three spikes for fingers attempted to gut her. Faster than the ants but slower than me.

“The rumored Shadow Warrior?” Eve mused as her arm blurred. Dusted ashes melted away as the Shadow dropped a magic crystal. Cleaning her Jian was the work of a moment using Witch’s Dust. Even as she started moving forward, more Shadows appeared from the walls. Clearly, the entity that controlled this place wanted to overwhelm her with mere numbers.

Her blade carved a path through the Shadow Warriors to the sound of more tinkling crystal drops. Eve narrowed her eyes as she finished the last Shadow. Wasn’t the drop rate for magic crystals supposed to be lower?

The Guild maintained the Tower that suppressed the Dungeon. It bought drops, monster parts, and magic crystals. They monitored the place, making certain abnormal situations dealt with. All of this took monetary resources, of which magic crystals were the most significant component. Any measure did not guarantee magic crystal drops. Yet every kill is a crystal, something at work here.

Crystal Core posited two theories that she agreed with. The first was her Jian had an effect. The second was Witch’s Dust. It was easy to test. The next Shadow Warrior was incapacitated with close combat. She pierced the creature's forehead by forming a tiny triangular sliver of Witch’s Dust. Eve nodded as the magic crystal appeared on the ground. Sure enough, the dust interacts with the mana causing crystals to drop.

Eve picked up all the crystals throwing them into her bag. They were small and finger-sized, but she didn’t know their actual value yet. It would take visiting the guild to learn the current rates. Shrugging, she moved forward, letting her hearing dictate the direction. She hadn’t been able to keep the person with a location Skill alive. It would be too great a risk that they might somehow communicate her deeds.

When the first Kobold appeared from the wall Eve’s face split into a huge grin. Finally, moving up and out. Once I see goblins, the rest should be easy!