Ch. 24 Exploration

The group was taking a long overdue rest. There was no telling what dangers awaited them within the cave, so it was best to recharge their batteries.

"My name is Arthur Hunt. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The 17 year old boy was tall and built like a model. His neatly trimmed hair and large bright eyes gave him a very approachable aura. Now, that they were safe, he thought it was time to finally introduce himself.

"Though we have met before, I don't believe we've exchanged names."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Ana bowed politely. "My name is…"

"Ana Taylor. I'm so sorry for what happened to you. And, this must be Ethan Masalis, right? A bright man with a bright future."

"As expected of a stalker." answered Ethan while munching on a vitality pill.

"No, no. It was my father who ordered me to watch over Oliver. And… it was Oliver who asked me to look into you."

"Thanks for thinking about me, bro."

Arthur averted his eyes. It was true that Oliver asked him to investigate the 2, but he was already doing it anyway.

"I asked him to look into the incident." explained Oliver.

"Really?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. He was too tired to push further, but this was one detail he would definitely remember.

Ana went to a corner, sat down, and hugged her knees. She was already tired, and thinking of Charles brought her mood to rock bottom.

"F**k." a vein popped on Ethan's forehead. "Everyone, grab a vitality pill and take a nap. I'll keep watch."

He went over to Ana and sat next to her.

'Do I… pat her head or something?' Ethan tried it a couple of times but got no response. Eventually, he just extended his hand and gave her an awkward side hug.

Ana leaned in on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Immediately, for the first time in ages, the boy's mind felt at ease. In less than a minute, they both fell asleep.

5 hours later, the teens woke up to the scent of cooked chicken. In the middle of the room, Arthur was making a large barbeque.

"Where did that come from?" asked Ana.

Arthur pointed to his ring, a dimensional pouch.

"How much?" Ethan was practically drooling over it.

"200 gold coins, non-negotiable."

The boy started sulking and it was now Ana who tried to comfort him.

"It's ok, I'm sure you'll afford it someday."

"That day may be sooner than you think." declared Oliver. "We're probably in a dungeon."

The group directed their gaze towards the tunnel that stretched from the cave they fell into. Indeed, there was something unusual about this place. The mana concentration was equal if not slightly higher than the surface. It was well ventilated, and the walls seemed man made.

After eating their full, the group proceeded with caution. Ethan took the lead, so he could pick up on danger, and Oliver documented their progress on a notebook from his brother.

Soon, they arrived in a large room. The tunnel they came out of was one of 4 with their entrances taking the shape of a half circle. Opposing them, a 5th tunnel stretched out to who knows where.

"Let's check the other 3 tunnels first." said Arthur. He had a bad feeling about the last one.

They picked one at random and started walking. Soon, another room, identical to the one they landed in, was found.

However, unlike the previous one, it had painted walls with complex patterns and numerous barrels and chests piled on top of each other.

"Woohoo!" Oliver was beside himself with glee. He ran to one of the barrels and used his spear to pry it open. It was full of wheat.

"Huh?"

He opened another one, and it had rice. Others were also filled with grains of different kinds.

"What kind of a crappy treasure room is this?" he complained while throwing a barrel over his head.

"Maybe, it's something else." said Ana.

The group began to earnestly go through the pile. Some of the barrels were filled with wine, while the chests contained silk, unusual garments, or tools. A few even had weapons, though their quality wasn't anything to brag about.

"Yeeees!" said Ethan after opening such a chest. "Finally, I can drop the kitchen knives!"

He picked for himself 2 short swords, 3 daggers, and some chainmail. Fortunately, he had recuperated a bit of his poison from the previous battle. While smearing it on the weapons, his eyes were wandering around the room.

"There's more here." said Oliver with disinterest. "I bet we can find a full suit of armor for everyone."

Of course, his family could buy dozens of these if needed. None of the equipment here could match the gear he and his brother were already wearing. However, for Ethan and Ana, it was a Godsend.

"I found something!" Everyone gathered around Arthur who was looking at an open chest. It was full of golden coins engraved in a strange pattern.

"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" Oliver grabbed a pile of coins and made it rain. "Finally, we can buy all the herbs we want and say goodbye to these shitty mountains!"

"I'm impressed." nodded Ethan. "If it were me, I would've snatched the gold immediately."

"Good to know." Arthur scoffed at the idea. He could have easily done it with his dimensional ring, but he was not that kind of a person.

Although Ethan wasn't the generous type, he liked such people since they were less likely to stab him in the back. After giving Arthur an approving nod, he grabbed one of the coins and checked out its pattern.

"Strange… Are cat ears a popular accessory around these parts?"