Chapter 29

Diya’s information, fortunately, proved correct. Not long after clearing the dead trees, the party sighted Gaia's central pillar rising into the sky. They’d have to descend a cliff and work their way through a mangrove forest on their way there, but it was still within sight. Diya grimaced at the thought of more climbing—the usual soreness had crept in, but he couldn’t wait to find an upgrade station.

The party ate while they walked. Diya worried about beasts tracking the scent of their rations but relaxed when their path appeared devoid of tracks. Since a tall cliff lay ahead of them, the plant monsters’ victims most likely came from another direction.

Hina and Yukiho needed little help climbing down the rock face. Diya still held the Ink Vines for Mei and Koki. The former didn’t dare use her soul again. She appeared rather faint already. Once the party was safe, Diya followed and dispelled the construct. The inkfire had consumed most of the pen's stores. Every time he summoned the vines, Diya worried he'd drain the soul's resources. While following, Diya removed Territorial Awareness from his deck. It had proven useful on the first couple of floors but had failed him in the mines.

Am I missing something?

It surprised him how spry he felt. He expected his body to crumble once he came down from the high of the last fight. Instead, Diya’s body burst with energy. He believed it was the plant monster’s golden juices. Some of it had gotten in his mouth. The spicy fluid had burned his tongue, and he’d washed his mouth out with water before starting the journey home.

The swamplands were dark and murky. Koki released his frog soul to act as a guide. The creature helped them find dry patches to traverse and kept them from losing their way. Diya found himself tempted to pull out the FTF’s compass, but he didn’t want the Ito-clan members to see the device. Yukiho still gave him a negative vibe. To stay safe, he insisted she and Mei walk ahead of him while he and Hina brought up the rear. After all, they were in the worst shape. Yukiho and Koki got into a hushed argument along the way. Hina tried to eavesdrop and translate but struggled to get most of the conversation over the marsh’s ambient sounds.

It was dark by the time they made it to the hub. They had passed a few large reptiles along the way, but the creatures kept their distance. Diya couldn’t tell whether it was Koki’s croaking soul or their numbers, but he was glad that they didn’t have to fight. Despite the energy and lack of soreness, he was terrified of fighting again. The cut on Diya’s palm had started bleeding during the descent and the skin on his hands still burned from the slime’s digestive enzymes. He wanted to eat, bathe, and sleep.

Diya tried breaking away from the party to visit an upgrade station when Yukiho stopped in. “Can you hand over the cards, please?” She asked.

“Excuse me?” Diya raised an eyebrow.

“As per the employment contract, Koki gets first pick. We’ve been talking, and he can’t afford to pass up on whatever the plant monster dropped.”

"Let me have a look at them first,” Diya said.

"No."

“That’s ridiculous,” Diya protested. He had tried his best to keep it concealed, but some part of him had expected such a turn of events. He fought the urge to run to the upgrade station and use it. Yukiho would chase him down, using her soul. Once she flashed the employment contract, people wouldn't bat an eye if she got violent. “The contract was on the basis that we contribute equally to the fights for the loot division terms to apply. I did all the legwork in the last battle. I saved your lives back there, Yukiho.”

Koki had an apologetic look on his face. He spoke a few words before diverting his eyes to the ground.

“He’s sorry.” Hina translated his words. “The clan wants him to prioritise their growth over his honour.”

“You wouldn’t have succeeded if not for Mei’s frost fire, Diya,” Yukiho said. “You know you don’t have a leg to stand on. Going by the contract, we have every right to claim the cards.” She walked up to him and held out her hand. “Koki needs the paralytic effect. It’ll serve him better than you. Besides, this is the third floor. The monster cards will only get better as we carry on. We can’t make a claim on the next big card we find, even if it's better than whatever monster card the plant creature dropped.” Yukiho smiled. “It’s your terms that I’m following, Diya. Don’t make this ugly.”

Diya sighed. She was right. He did most of the work, but Mei had contributed to the victory. If not for her help, they wouldn’t have survived the slime lord or the plant monster. He plucked the card out of his vest and handed it over.

“Thank you.” Yukiho’s smile widened. “Let’s move on to the next order of business then.” It wasn’t just Koki that struggled to meet his eye now, but Mei, too. “Without your help, Diya, we wouldn’t have reached the shrine. Mei and I wouldn’t still be alive without your daring axe play, either. Thanks to the coincidental information you had, we reached the hub without facing any further dangers too. This is the end of the line, though.”

“What?!” Hina exclaimed.

“We will no longer need your services, Diya,” Yukiho said, ignoring Hina. “You’ve served us brilliantly, but your skill set will be of no use to us for the rest of the interval. We prefer maintaining a tight group. It’s nothing personal.”

Diya clenched his fists and exhaled deeply. He regretted stopping and not just rushing to an upgrade station. If Yukiho tried to apprehend him, one of the other Climbers would get in the way, giving him a chance to use the card. People didn’t stand for violence in the hubs. Diya felt his veins pulsing on the sides of his head, and all the exhaustion of the day hit him at once. The Ito-clan had used him for his talents and wanted to discard him to keep all future Cores for themselves. Diya sighed, collecting his thoughts.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Yukiho,” Diya said, putting on his best smile. “I’ve certainly learnt a lot about your clan. It’s pilgrimage and ethics. Since we’re parting ways here, I’d like to claim payment.” Diya held out his hand. “Since Koki has made his selection, the mole’s monster card is up for grabs.” His words wiped the smug smile off Yukiho’s face. “According to the contract in question, I still have the right to claim it. Isn’t that so?”

“It's focused on digging and physical reinforcement,” Yukiho said, gritting her teeth. “In Gaia’s name, how will a mole card help with a damned fountain pen soul? It should go to a beast-type.”

Diya shrugged. “I don’t remember the contract’s terms saying it has to be a card I can use. Perhaps it won’t help at all. I can have a look and perhaps trade it for something else. I’m sure I can get a reasonable price on it if everything else fails.” He continued when Yukiho hesitated. “C’mon, then. I’m tired after all the legwork I did for your pilgrimage and survival, Yukiho. The Ito clan wouldn’t want to go back on its word after I saved their lives. Would they? No one will deal with you if news gets out on how you went against the signed contract.”

Mei and Koki looked at Yukiho, confused. Going by the tone, Diya guessed they were asking her questions but got no answers. Passing Climbers had paused to watch the exchange, too. Yukiho fished the mole card out of her pocket and placed it in Diya’s palm. She turned around, spoke in Japanese, and started walking away. Hina looked between him and then hesitantly before following.

“Hold on a second,” Diya said. He raised his volume since there were close to twenty feet between them. “Is it okay if I take a moment to say goodbye to my friend Hina privately? I don’t know when I’ll see her again if she goes with you. What if she dies if you leave her behind and run? That almost happened to Koki, didn’t it?” Yukiho's pretty face had twisted into a snarl. It looked like she wanted to say something but caught herself seeing other climbers were looking at Diya. “I mean, you don’t want to interfere in the Ito clan’s pilgrimage. That’s why when Koki fell and almost got taken by the mole creature. You kept running. In case the same thing happens with Hina, I’d like to say a proper goodbye.”

Yukiho nodded, placing a card in Hina’s hands. “That’s your pay, Hina,” Yukiho said. “I won’t stand for nonsense insinuations about the Ito clan. We’re returning to the primary hub. Meet us with the claws at the appraiser. I’ll get us some food in the meantime.”

“What are you doing, Diya?” Hina demanded after the Ito-clan members turned their attention elsewhere. “I know what they just did to you isn’t fair, but I can’t afford to lose this opportunity.”

“I know what I’m doing, Hina,” Diya said. “Just give me a second.”

He stopped by the upgrade station, summoned his soul in his left hand, and held the mole monster card in his right. It featured three keywords: Heavy, Tough, and Shredding Claws. Gaia spoke when he held the two against the rune-covered stone.

Climbers avoid giant-old moles and keep far from their territories.

Not you, wielder of Explorer’s Fountain Pen. You faced one head-on with an un-upgraded soul and your axe.

Absorbing the Core will temper your senses, making your hearing and smell twice as keen.

The pen's nib and weapons made using it will gain the power of Shredding Claws. Constructs will increase in weight and grow tougher but will be left inflexible.

Unlike Eirkh's card, the mole's card didn't have a name, and the keywords didn't directly affect any of his soul's keywords. Instead, it only affected summons and the pain's structure itself.

"It's not compatible." Diya sighed, backing away from the upgrade station, and handed the monster card to Hina.

“What?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just have a look,” Diya said. “Is it compatible with your soul? Will it give you decent spells?”

Hina looked back at the Ito-clan members. They weren’t paying any attention to Diya or her and were locked in a heated discussion. Yukiho’s decision probably didn’t sit well with them. Mei’s opinion of him had most likely changed after he saved her from grabbing flowers. Hina took the Core from Diya, and a visible shiver ran down her spine. Even though she appeared hesitant, he could see the excitement in her eyes. Hina pressed her hands to the stone monolith, and a soft smile spread across her face.

“Body tempering related to senses and natural recovery,” she told Diya, keeping her voice low. Her hands remained glued to the monolith, and her eyes closed. “Multiply's effects are doubled, and I can add little claws that hang from the fluff." Her brows rose. "By Gaia! The fluff won’t just have the ability to reduce weight. I can make things heavier, too.”

“Absorb the card, Hina.”

She opened her eyes and looked at Diya. “Are you sure?” She asked. “This is your payment. I just can’t take it.”

“I’m on a quest. Right now, I’m trying to find a way to fix my friend. Once that’s done, I’ll seek answers regarding what happened to someone I loved. It won’t be easy, and I’ll need help. Consider this an investment, Hina. Stick with the Itos until you outgrow them, or Yukiho gets too dangerous to have around. Then come find me. We’ll form a real climbing party together.”

Hina smiled at Diya and nodded. She closed her eyes and tightened her hold on the upgrade station. Diya glanced back at the Itos. They were gone. Hina finished her upgrade five minutes later. She threw her arms around Diya and squeezed him.

“I hope you don’t get the wrong idea,” she told him. “I appreciate the gift, and I may have been a little flirty before, but I don’t find you attractive.”

“Don’t worry.” Diya laughed. “The feeling is mutual. There was a moment of passing curiosity, but I moved on pretty quickly.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Diya. This means so much. This new spell and summon is going to make a big difference.”

“Good. Use this lot for combat experience and learn how to use it. In the meantime, I’ll find the perfect Core for my purposes.”

“You’re pretty outstanding,” Hina said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“I got to the third floor without spending a dime.” Diya sighed. “I reckon I’ll explore this floor a while. If I find a decent beast, I’ll commission a team to help me take it down. If not, they can help me get to the next one. Don’t worry about me, Hina. Just watch your back, and stay safe. Alright?”

Hina nodded and bid him goodbye. He felt her rifle around in his pocket as she left. He suspected she was leaving a gift for him but took the opportunity to study her transformed tattoo. Three triangles similar to the mole’s claws grew from behind the dandelion fluff’s stem. Diya hoped Hina would find a proper application for her new summon. She had a decent head on her shoulders. All Hina needed was a little boost and some confidence. Diya was glad that he’d given her just that.

After Hina left, Diya realised he didn’t want to leave the tower. He’d already taken an unnecessarily harsh tone with Yukiho—it was foolish to antagonise someone much stronger than him. Diya worried that if he bumped into her in the primary hub or Climber’s market, he’d make things much worse. No one would want to work with someone that caused a scene. Suddenly, it made sense why someone would mess with the gate by the shrine. Diya guessed the Ito clan had pissed off people in the past. They could’ve retaliated by screwing with the doors they used.

Several little fires had popped up around the third-floor hub. He checked his pocket watch. Diya laughed, realising it was mid-morning outside. No wonder Climbers had such distorted body clocks. He recalled Neer waking him up in the middle of the night with a midnight feast after returning from climbs. It also explained the campfire. Diya guessed people wanted to follow their resident floor’s time while working there. He approached one and asked whether they’d mind company. The party of three middle eastern men spoke to each other in Arabic for a moment before welcoming him.

Fortunately for Diya, the trio wasn’t interested in getting to know him. They sat on the opposite side of the fire, continuing their conversation. They cooked their meat on skewers over their fire and ignored him altogether. Diya was glad. Despite the positive exchange with Hina, he struggled to unwind. His stomach was in knots, and he kept imagining his axe cleaving through Yukiho’s face.

Diya regretted not studying the plant monster's card and hiding it. If it did come with a paralytic effect, his ink could've benefited from it. Yukiho and the party knew that he deserved it. Yet she had used her rank and exploited the contract to take it from him. After some thought, Diya decided he wanted to spend a little while alone. He got his guidebook out and looked through the information regarding the floor and its beasts. It took him a few minutes to find a decent target.

If Diya travelled west through the swamps, he’d encounter several lizard men tribes. They were dangerous in large numbers and provided nothing valuable. Because of their habitat’s treacherous nature, Climbers didn’t waste too much time hunting them. Diya decided to take the following day to investigate them, perhaps setting up a few traps. He didn’t expect to find anything worthwhile but hoped the time away from people would sharpen his mind and work through the rage.

Finally, Diya checked his pocket. He found a new card. The artwork showed a mole with its head in a hole and a mound of dirt behind it. A solid one sat in the top left corner.

Mole’s Claws
The wielder may summon a digging implement or claws from their hands or feet. Dirt and rock come apart with ease under their effects. The wielder requires three-quarters as much time and effort to dig or penetrate stone as someone with similar strength levels.

It was Hina's pay for getting the Itos through a floor of climbing. He couldn't tell whether Hina knew how valuable such a card would be for Diya. It was an invaluable card for a trapper. Digging Claws wouldn’t just make it easier to create pitfalls and spike traps but also let him travel without a folding shovel.