Chapter 58 - Clearing Space

They did not like the [Foulworms] all of them yelped when it shot out of its cave. Some of them even vomited when they got close to its corpse. Max still received 300 experience for killing it. He looted 212 Cosmic Coins, and found himself slightly miffed at having not received a loot box. It was likely they dropped them more often.

Max went over all his knowledge of the terrible demonic worms. He told the fighters how simple it is to fight them and how to avoid being eaten by them. He also mentioned the loot boxes with a caveat that he might be wrong about it.

“Regardless,” Max said. “We should clear them out if we are going to settle somewhere nearby. They are really easy experience, so with them and the [Junior Vilefiends], everyone should get up to level 10 at least fairly soon.”

“You sure know what you’re doing, don’t you, darling?” Christie asked as she squatted down to inspect the worm. If she was phased it did not show.”

“Like I said, they’re simple prey if you avoid their surprise attack.”

“I’m not talking about just that, darling. You were amazing with the little demons. I didn’t think it was possible to move around like that.”

“Lack of imagination,” Max said, quirking a smile. “I’m sure you’ll learn all the tricks along the way.”

Christie turned to look at Max and chuckled. “Well well, darling. I am sure I will.”

Max didn’t have anything further to add to this conversation, so Christie decided to continue. She gave him a quick smile before turning back to the creature. “They do smell awful, though.”

“You should see the cave,” Max said.

“Let’s save that for another occasion,” Christie quipped.

Max chuckled. “Wise choice.”

“So where should we set up a camp, Max” Brian asked after being done with inspecting the monster. “In one of their caves?”

“There are plenty caves around here,” Max said. “I would not suggest a [Foulworm] lair. We will have a really unpleasant afternoon of spring-cleaning if we go that route.”

Brian nodded. One of his men, the fat one Max had tethered to a wall, came up. “Won’t there be monsters in the caves?”

“Maybe,” Max said. “But I’d be more worried about the monsters outside if we don’t find a cave to huddle in. If you think Vilefiends and Foulworms are the worst it gets, you haven’t seen enough.”

“There’s more?” Another man of Brian’s asked. He had a scraggly beard and a thin, stringy frame.

“There is,” Max said, pointing a finger at the horizon.. “See those porous tall formations over there.”

“With the smoke?”

“Yeah. There are some really nasty things in there. That’s why I think we should settle somewhere around this area. This is like a transitory space. It’s at the edge of scary and safe.”

“Agreed,” Christie said as she stepped into the conversation.

“We will trust your judgment,” Brian said. “We should find a suitable cave. Easily defensible and spacious enough.

“Sounds good to me,” Max said.

                                                                  *

They cleared a few more caves of their worms and two groups of Vilefiends as they took control of the area. To their good fortune, they ended up with two [E-grade material boxes]. Now they would just need a nice place to set up camp and open the boxes.

It was getting late in the afternoon and the [Artisans] were getting tired. The [Laborers] had a hearty amount of Constitution in their builds, but even some of them were starting to get weary. Stamina drained faster in the Dreadlands.

Max wondered if it was sustainable to set up a camp here after all. Maybe people would need a build more focused on Constitution. That wasn’t a problem for [Combatants] or [Laborers], but [Leaders] and [Artisans] would have to set up their build suboptimally. Not that having high Constitution was a bad thing. Accidents could happen at any time and having a cushion of Health points was a surefire way to keep fighting for humanity.

After another hour, they finally found a suitable cave. It had an entrance large enough that Max was surprised there was no worm inhabiting it. Max went in first to get a whiff of potentially something even worse dwelling in the darkness. But after a thorough examination Max declared the cave safe.

It was actually a fortuitous find. The cave had a large opening right at the mouth. When one stepped it, it was as if stepping into an atrium of sorts. The round ‘room’ of the cave was maybe fifteen yards in span. From the main room, two tunnels continued in opposite directions, ever so slightly sloping towards underground. Max got excited at the possibilities of the [Laborers] expanding these tunnels into full rooms. They could get mining tools from Durum and turn this place into an actual base.

“It’s going to need work,” Max said, his voice echoing off the walls. “The dust will be a problem.”

“Yes,” one of the support crew said. A girl of seventeen or so. She was short and skinny. Her long blonde hair was a matted mess behind her back. There was a certain keen wisdom in her eyes that Max found he liked. “We have to make a door. We also need to get a broom or something to sweep away the dust.”

“Great idea,” Max said. “What’s your name?”

“F-Freya,” the girl said. She had spoken out almost unthinkingly, but now that she was faced with Max, she blushed a bit. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Max said and smiled at the girl. He was getting used to people being uncomfortable around him for one reason or another. It was starting to bother him less and less. “I’m sure we will be working together more now. Brave of you to join us.”

“Thanks,” Freya said, demurely. “I want to get stronger. I can't stay huddled up in the camp for my whole life.”

“I like that attitude, sweetheart,” Christie said and wrapped an arm around the girl. “I’ll take care of you, don’t you worry that pretty head of yours.”

                                                                  *

While the rest of the expedition started to prepare the cave and its surroundings for setting up their camp, Max excused himself. It was time to channel his inner dwarfmind. He really needed to be selfish now. He was racing against the clock. And by clock he meant billions of other people wanting to murder him.

So Max went to the end of one of the tunnels and started setting up his [Mana Focus Formation (E-grade)] on the floor of the cave. Pleased with his work, he sat in the middle of it and took out his purple sack of Cultivation pills.

“You awake there?”

“You know I am,” Maverick said. “But I had hoped you play with your friends a little longer.”

“Feeling grumpy?” Max asked.

“Tired,” Maverick said with a theatrical sigh.

“Do you… feel bodily exhaustion?”

“I’m not tired physically you nincompoop,” Maverick snapped. “I’m tired of your endless foolishness.”

“Yikes,” Max said. “I am sorry your Prickliness.”

“It’s spiritual exhaustion, I suppose,” Maverick finally admitted. “Despite my awesomeness, I seem to have limits. This is devastating to admit.”

“I get what you mean,” Max said. “The spiritual energy uses these veins right? Like its own channels.”

“Yes?”

“I feel like those are strained. It’s hard to explain. It’s like overworking a muscle.”

“Disregarding the fact that you have never in your life overworked anything, much less a muscle, I have to agree.”

“I think we should still just keep pushing for advancement.”

Maverick said nothing at that. Maverick could sense the gun’s soul was having an internal debate.

“I’m way too lenient with you, but you are my favorite sidekick. So I suppose I must appease your whims sometimes.”

That was all Max needed to hear. Max opened his bag and fed Maverick’s bullet chambers with [Celestial Illumination Pills]. They had almost half a day to Cultivate. Then they would sleep in the cave and make sure the expedition had its shit together. If it did, Max could go visit the dwarves.

Pleased with the way things were going, Max popped a pill, closed his eyes and prepared for hard work.