The Status Quo

The group had been travelling within the dungeon successfully for a few hours. They had gone through a few mobs and weak bosses on their way here but they faced no true threats thanks to their organization and talents.

The Olympus contingent was now within a forest approaching a river that meandered between mountains. This was very close to the location Fafnir is said to have been slain.

Within the legends, the Norse Hero Siegfried dug a hole underneath the riverbank where Fafnir liked to drink water. Then Siegfried hid under the hole and waited for the beast to pass. He stabbed the creature from underneath, catching it by surprise. After the creature died, Siegfried ate a piece of the Dragon's Heart and bathed in its blood, gaining stupendous strength in the process. The Dragon spewed a large cloud of poison as its dying action and this poison was the one that filled up the entire space.

The poison caused mutations within the beasts in the area resulting in odd variations of monsters. This was another feature of these types of dungeons. Having some sort of variation of some species of creatures.

The group had arrived close to where it is believed the dragon was buried. But the poison in this area was abnormally thick and extremely potent. Even if Lydia used powerful spells to clear the area around her, the poison would still return to the Area she purified in seconds. In other words, if they wanted to proceed, everyone had to travel with a competent cultivator purifying the way forward. But this unfortunately slowed down movements. But the group had no choice.

"I am not sure why Peerless asked us to pass through here before we reach Fafnir's Cave. There are no remains here worth taking." Complained Lydia to Mercedes. The latter sat in a chair surrounded by multiple people on each flank. The conversation was happening within a small tent that had been set up for the commanders. Mercedes wanted to disregard Will's instructions as she also did not understand why they had to use this route.

It made more sense to head to the cave with his treasures as that place didn't have as much poison as the riverbank. The defences and bosses there were a bit stronger, but at least it was an environment that would allow them to use their full strength. This poison made it impossible for their senses to perceive their environment despite the fact that everyone there was an accomplished Truthseeker, beings known for their sensory capabilities.

The poison was a viral concoction that oxidized organic substances and a few inorganic materials such as metal. It also released a baleful dragon force that weakened one's Mental Energy greatly. Truth was capable of clearing the poison but only if it was in small amounts and not potent. To clear the poison by the riverbank, ordinary Truth was not enough. Mercedes was not happy about having to use high-level abilities so early in the expedition. But now they had no choice

Odysseus was quiet the entire trip. Only his troops helped, but even then they only helped them face mobs of weaker creatures while Odysseus observed. No one had acted out of line and he kept tabs on all the happenings of the group. Thus he saw no need to be social, he was mainly focused on observing Will's progress. It was also his presence that forced Mercedes to follow the route outlined by Will as Peerless. Odysseus' main job besides logistics was to make sure that the party leader's wishes were met. Even though he was 'absent.'

"We have no choice but to move in groups. Let's organize ourselves into groups and deal with the creatures step by step. The Veritas are the best at utilizing Truth, so we will have each squad led by-"

"Don't worry guys. Papa Solitary is here to save the day."

Before Mercedes could continue, she was rudely interrupted by a now stable Will. Everyone had noticed him wake up but no one made a fuss as it was only a matter of time. His previous feat of performing a guided Strike to clear the poison was impressive and allowed the group to move forward. But the poison ahead of the group at the moment was so thick that an ordinary Guided Strike was useless. No one else could use The Breath of Solitude and others assumed Will simply did not have the strength to continue. Nevertheless, areas he cleared would still remain free of poison, albeit only for a short time due to the Riverbank's proximity to Fafnir's corpse.

"Solitary, glad to have you with us, but I don't think you can do much in this matter." Said Mercedes as she twirled her gorgeous locks of hair.

Lydia snorted as she looked at Will, "You did a good job last time, but anyone here could have done something similar, we just don't want to show off. This is neither the time nor place for theatrics, so let Lady Mercedes deal with this."

While Will had earned the other's respect, he had still not done anything to warrant respect on the same level as Ulysses and co. He was still seen as someone punching a bit above his weight. Not to mention that xenophobia against locals was also at play.

Will looked at Lydia mockingly and said, "Lord Peerless sent you along this path precisely because I have the means to allow us to move unhindered. But if you insist I will take a nap here and let you guys take care of things. Since you have no time for theatrics as you said."

Will picked a random spot and started to meditate as if he was in seclusion. Will's words caught everyone off guard. No one expected him to have the solution to this issue but Mercedes did not doubt the veracity of his words. Ulysses was also quick on the uptake and sent a threatening glare toward Lydia. The meaning in his eyes was clear.

'Fix this.'

Lydia deeply feared angering Ulysses as he often dealt harsh punishments to anyone that affected Mercedes' plans.

Lydia had clearly offended Will, who was Peerless' right hand. Thus she had to take responsibility and get him to come back. Lydia hated having to lower herself to begging a local from an ordinary branded dungeon, but her fear of Ulysses far outweighed her pride.

Lydia tried to put on the friendliest smile she could and walked up to Will. "Solitary, please forgive me for my rude behaviour. I hope you can inform us of Lord Peerless' plans."

As a noble who had to consistently bootlick the mercurial Mercedes and the enigmatic Ulysses, Lydia was skilled at hiding her true emotions. But her words were not as convincing as her expression. The other's felt that this wasn't enough and assumed Will would make things difficult, but he surprised everyone.

Will stood up and dusted himself off, "With such an empathic show of sincerity how can I remain angry? Spectralians are truly humble, you have opened my eyes. I hope I can be as earnest as you Lydia."

These words sounded like sarcasm, but there wasn't the slightest bit of mockery or sarcasm in his tone or actions. He truly seemed to be touched by Lydia's 'apology'. No one understood what was happening anymore. Will was amused by everyone's confusion and chuckled to himself. He walked to the table ahead and said, "Before I give my 2 cents on the issue, can you give me a rundown on everything that happened while I was knocked out?"

Will did not want the others to know that he was fully conscious all the time. He wasn't sure who believed him but he didn't care and kept his act up. He also wanted to see if they would inform him of all the events truthfully. Another of Mercedes' aides, a young blond blue-eyed youth called Palmer walked up to Will and updated him with regards to what happened.

Palmer was a charming young man with short hair. He was tall and slightly muscular, but he had an arrogance deeply rooted within his soul that was evident in his eyes. He had the look of a Casanova and took the chance to flirt with any female he came across. With the exception of Mercedes of course. But he was reliable and arguably the sharpest tool in Mercedes' shed. If there was anything that needed a brain, he was often in charge.