Chapter 141 - Hugs and Kisses

Nova looked at the man with a fair level of suspicion. He felt no obvious power radiating from him, but it was clear that the man was powerful. He would have to be to journey to the dungeon entrance on his own and survive the deadly forest, not to mention opening that massive gate without assistance.

But still, Nova owed him a great debt for keeping Millie safe.

"It's nice to meet you, Father Lowe. I'm very grateful that you kept Millie safe until I could arrive." Nova's words were carefully chosen, carving a clear line in the sand. Now that he was here, Millie would no longer need to stay in this tower.

"Oh, I could hardly leave her on her own out there in that entrance chamber! When that signal had been broadcasting for so long without any movement, I felt I had to go investigate what was causing it." Father Lowe's expression was genuinely warm as he glanced down at Millie with obvious fondness.

"Signal? You mean the ring?" Nova asked, moving his hand instinctively to touch the communication device on his finger.

“Yes, just like the one you’re wearing. It seems to be a clever invention, but quite dangerous if others can detect it.”

"That's definitely true… Well, you're the first person I've met who could sense it." Nova made a mental note to be more careful about the ring's detectability in the future.

Father Lowe was clearly a skilled and experienced mage, despite his humble appearance. But in a place like this strange city, only the strongest people from the surface world would be able to gather and survive.

"I take it you're planning to bring her with you when you leave?" Father Lowe asked, gesturing toward Millie with a gentle nod of his head.

"Yes, that was always the plan. But I'm completely new to this city, so I don't know how easy it will be to find a place for us to stay." Nova shifted Millie's weight in his arms, still reluctant to put her down after so long apart.

"Oh, there are plenty of inns available, don't you worry about that. And new dungeon divers are usually treated quite nicely by the local establishments." Father Lowe's tone was reassuring. "Though, you'll have to prepare yourself for the prices to be far greater than what you're used to from the surface world."

"Right, that makes sense. Divers would bring large amounts of gold down here with them, which would make it worth much less than silver in the local economy, I imagine." Nova nodded as he worked through the basic economics of the situation.

"Just so! You understand the situation quite well."

"Well, thank you again for everything you've done," Nova said, finally setting Millie down gently on the soft carpet. "Millie, do you want to say goodbye to Father Lowe before we leave?"

"So fast?" Millie looked back up at him with big, questioning eyes.

"Well, for now. We might stay in this city for a while, so we'll probably—"

Father Lowe laughed loudly, interrupting Nova’s words. “Ahahaa, my apologies! I was just reminded of myself when I first arrived here.”

"...We will get out of this floor," Nova said firmly, meeting the older man's gaze with determination.

“I have no doubt.”

Nova didn't detect any obvious sarcasm in the man's tone, but something about the way Father Lowe said those words made him suspect there was more beneath the surface.

"Come on, Millie," Nova said, taking her small hand and heading toward the teleportation formation. “We will meet Father Lowe again later, I’m sure.”

"It's the same way back down," Father Lowe said helpfully, pointing at the circular formation Nova had arrived through. "And if you need any help while you're in the city, feel free to visit anytime!"

"We will!" Millie cheered with excitement, waving enthusiastically at the tall man as she followed Nova toward the glowing circle on the floor.

A short while later, Nova and Millie descended toward the old cabin in the forest, ready to pick up Anny and continue their journey together. Millie had been wrapped in several powerful protective barriers before Nova dared bring her along for the flight, but he found the risk preferable to leaving her alone in the city and out of his direct sight.

The descent was smooth and controlled, with Nova's sylph wings catching the air currents as they approached the familiar wooden structure nestled between the towering trees.

"Anny! Can you hear me?!" Millie yelled from Nova's back the moment they came within shouting distance. “Are you in there?”

Nova touched down gently on the packed earth in front of the cabin entrance, folding his translucent wings back into his body. Millie immediately jumped down from his back with boundless energy.

Nova caught her arm gently before she could dash toward the door. "She's still in the entrance area, Millie. And don't run off so carelessly around here." The forest was still dangerous, even this close to the neutral starting zone.

(How did it go?) Anny's mental voice suddenly reached out through their ring connection. She had clearly sensed his approach through the ring. Her tone was carefully controlled, but Nova could detect the underlying tension and worry.

(Millie is safe, and here with me. You can come out now.)

(Oh, thank—) Anny's communication suddenly cut off mid-sentence, though Nova could still sense her connection through the ring remained intact.

(Anny? Are you still there?)

(You’re sure your mind is still fine, right?) Her mental voice carried a note of careful concern when she responded.

(Oh. Yes, I am quite confident.) He retrieved the piece of silver from his chest pocket and pressed it against his forehead just to be completely safe, but the cool metal produced no change in his mental state this time. (The silver is working just fine.)

(...So she's really okay? Really safe?)

(She's standing right here waiting for you to come out.) Nova walked toward the door with Millie bouncing beside him, then opened it and stepped inside the familiar wooden interior. (We're both perfectly fine.)

Finally, Anny emerged from the blue barrier that separated the starting area from the main floor. The magical membrane parted around her like water as she stepped through, immediately turning toward Millie with a tearful expression. “Oh, Millie!”

"Anny!" Millie yelled back, immediately launching herself forward and jumping into Anny's waiting arms. "You've grown as well!"

Anny caught the small girl and held her close against her chest, twirling around on the wooden floor. Her voice was thick with emotion. “Millie, thank god you’re safe! I was so worried about you!"

“It’s because of your rings! I wouldn’t have lasted long without them.”

Nova realized how true that was. Both rings had been instrumental to her survival. Anny’s quick thinking had done more to save her than anything else.

“...We should get to the city before any guardians notice us here.”

"Right," Anny replied, stealthily wiping her tears before letting Millie back down onto the wooden floor. "Haaah, I think you've grown a little bit yourself, Millie."

"Really?" Millie looked down at her legs with sudden interest. "I think I'm just as tall as the last time you saw me."

"There are more ways to grow than height, Millie." Anny tussled Millie’s blonde hair with a warm smile.

Millie furrowed her brows in confusion before looking back down, this time directing her attention to her stomach. She poked it experimentally with one finger. "Oh…"

"No, I mean you've matured," Anny said with a gentle chuckle. "Spending that much time on your own is no small feat for a young girl."

"Oh!" Millie's face brightened immediately as understanding dawned, looking back at Nova who stood by the entrance. "I have! I've matured a lot!"

"I'm sure you have. And don't worry, I'll make you that practice area once we return to the New Garden…"

“Yay!” Millie raised her arms in cheer, looking like she could barely wait to get back home. 

‘Though that might take longer than any of us think…’

(What’s wrong?) Anny asked through the rings, clearly having noticed his hesitation.

(...I’ll explain it when we get settled in the city. Returning won’t be simple.)

(Well, we expected as much when we entered this floor.)

(Yeah, well… Let’s get back first.)

Opening the gate to the city was just as challenging as the last time, with Anny adding slightly less power than the three divers who had helped Nova before. But the massive doors did eventually swing open, revealing the city streets once more. Despite the late hour, the place was still fairly crowded.

"Phew, that was heavy!" Millie wiped some sweat from her brow as she looked back at the enormous gate with satisfaction. "You're lucky we girls were here to help!"

“Yeah, I sure would have struggled without your help,” Nova said with a smile. “Let’s ask around for the nearest inn.”

They walked through the entrance together, and Nova watched as Anny looked around at the city with obvious amazement. The cobblestone streets were filled with people going about their evening business, merchants closing their stalls, and the warm glow of lamplight

"You said these people are all from the surface?" Anny asked, looking more than a little shocked at the sheer number of inhabitants.

“Yeah, either that or descendants of earlier inhabitants.”

“But…”

(But that means they're all completely stuck here?) Anny continued through their ring connection, glancing meaningfully at Millie who was skipping ahead of them.

(Yeah. The dungeon king is strong, it seems. Very strong.)

(Then how are we supposed to…)

(I have a couple of ideas. But let’s find an inn first of all.)

"Nova! Can I have a staff like that?" Millie asked suddenly, pointing with excitement at one of the market stalls lining the street.

"I'm pretty sure those will be way too expensive for us," Nova replied, looking over at the merchant's wares. Multiple staffs were displayed using what looked like tier 8 or 9 materials, likely from the inventories of divers who had just completed the last two floors before being stranded in this city.

“Aww…”

“I can make a better one anyway. But you’ll have to earn it.”

“But I’ve grown…”

The genuinely sad tone in her voice weakened Nova's resolve considerably. He couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that had happened to her. And besides, getting used to using a proper staff early on could actually be a good idea for her magical development.

"...We'll see. I might have something suitable for you already."

Ch.140 --I-- Index --I-- Ch.142