Unfortunately, Hestia hadn't climbed into bed at some point during the night. I awoke alone on my couch, and after a few minutes of failing to re-enter the blissful realm of unconsciousness, I got up to see that I was alone in the room as well. A note was folded on top of the coffee table, my name scrawled across it in messy handwriting. Picking it up, I flipped it open to see:
Went to work, be back at 5. Your clothes are drying up top.
Take care!
Hestia
Looking at the time, I saw it was barely past 6. "She's going to have a long day," I missed, tossing the note into my inventory. Twelve hours. You never knew how much you needed something until it was gone. Never thought I would be missing labor laws, of all things. "But, I guess it'll give me a chance to use my Massage Skill."
Wrapping the blanket around my waist, I stood up, my back popping like a machine gun. A groan escaped me, as I popped my neck as well, "ugh, the next thing I'm getting is an actual bed." I don't know where I would put it, but sleeping on the couch that felt three sizes too small was murdering my spine.
I looked around for a moment, somewhat at a loss on what to do. It was still early, so maybe I should head down into the Dungeon? I was still 4000 in the hole, so I might as well start making some cash ahead of time. The last thing I needed was to wait until the last minute to make it all, only to fail, then not get my armor.
Still, my gaze found the pile of books that I needed to thumb through. I preferred fiction, but if those self-help books could save my life, then I should read them sooner rather than later. Meh, I should go check my clothes before I decide on anything. Tying the blanket at my hip, leaving one leg dangerously exposed, but it covered all the important bits.
Ducking low to walk back up the stairs, I pushed away a false wall that served as a door to reveal the ruined church. In the low light, it looked a lot creepier. The stone felt rough underfoot, so I was careful where I stepped. I don't know if Gamer Body would protect me from tetanus, and the only way to find out was no way to find out.
"Where is the clothesline?" I muttered, wiping the last vestiges of sleep from my eyes. It was weird, it didn't feel like I needed sleep but waking up in the mornings was just as hard as it was before. I searched the interior of the church, only to find nothing. Did she mean that it was outside?
Stepping out, I looked around, spotting the clothesline on the side of the building. There was a slight problem, though.
It was empty.
"Er," I started, blinking at it with some confusion. Did they get blown away or something? It didn't storm last night, so I don't see how they could have. Even then, my clothes were big enough that they wouldn't have gone far if they did get blown off the line. "Am I looking in the right place?" She wrote that they were hanging up, but she didn't mention that they were on the clothesline.
"Hurry it up!" I heard a high pitched voice yell out, bringing my attention to what looked like a small kid in the distance. Which then lead my attention to another small kid running towards the first carrying a bundle of...were those my pants? Dark blue and ripped in a dozen places -- those were my pants. That kid was stealing my pants!
"H-Hey!" I called out, quickly giving chase. The one running off with my pants looked over his shoulder, revealing young-looking kid with dark brown hair, a face covered in scratches and smudges of dirt. His eyes widened comically when he saw me running after him, rapidly closing the distance between us thanks to my significantly longer legs. "Get back here! Give me back my clothes!"
Instead of dropping my clothes, the brat turned around and booked it towards the other two kids down the street. One was holding my dress shirt while the other was holding my tank top and boxers. The first was a young girl with straw blonde hair, while the other looked like an elf. They looked torn between waiting for their friend and running for the hills.
The first kid had a pretty big lead on me, but I closed it with every step. I raced down the street, barely believing what was happening. They were stealing my clothes. Why, of all things, were they stealing my clothes?!
"Hurry Rye! This way!" One of the punks shouted, running behind a building into an alleyway. The elf looked at her, then at me chasing the first punk down, before quickly deciding to cheese it.
"Don't leave me!" Rye, I'm guessing, shouted back, barely slowing as he rounded the corner, missing my swipe at the back of his shirt by an inch. He darted into the alleyway, gasping for breath. I rounded on the kid, grasping at him again, his stubby legs unable to keep up with me. He seemed to realize it to as he grabbed the edge of a barrel as he ran past, tipping it over to slow me down.
"Just stop kid and give me back my pants!" I shouted after him, nearly tripping over the barrel as he darted out of my reach. He dared to look back at me, his eyes so wide they could have fallen out of his head before he darted...into the wall? What? Cursing loudly, I scrambled after him, moving a curtain that fed moths for months to reveal a hole.
"He's coming! He's coming!" One of the punks shouted, followed by the sound of footsteps that grew fainter by the second. I didn't even bother trying to fit down the hole, into what looked like some kind of cellar. I looked at the building, standing up and sprinting around it, intent on catching them on the other side.
Sprinting around the old half-decayed building, I rounded on the other side just in time to see one of them disappear down another alley. I ran after them, cutting across a street, ignoring an odd look I got from one of the few inhabitants that lived in this part of the city. I must look quite a sight -- only a thin short blanket to protect my modesty, and only barely at that.
Reaching the alley, I turned into the alley, to see that it lead to a dead end. I smiled briefly to myself, expecting to find the punks trapped. That smile was quick to fall when I realized when I was the only one in the alley.
"God damn it," I hissed, searching for where they slipped into. I found a wooden door cellar at the end of the alley, but when I grabbed it, it was locked on the other side. They must have locked it behind them. With a growl, I ran around the building again, intent on cutting them off now that I was so close.
I turned the corner, searching the streets for any sign of the punks...but this time, the streets were devoid of any life. My heart started to fall to my stomach, "no, no, no!" I muttered, searching the alleys for any trace of them. There was none. "This cannot be happening to me," I cursed, looking at the building I just ran around. Could they still be inside? They had to be!
I ran over, reducing the door to splinters when it got in my way. Thankfully, it didn't look like anyone's home, so I didn't just commit a crime. I tore through the abandoned house, searching for the cellar. When I found it, I found it locked with a thick padlock. Snarling with anger, I grabbed it and pulled, ignoring how rust bit into my hand. Eventually, with a loud groan, it broke free.
"Look, I don't want to hurt any of you, just give me back my clothes," I said, swinging the doors open to reveal...an empty cellar. "No!" Instantly, I spotted another tunnel carved through one of the walls. I dropped to my knees, looking down it only to see darkness. I couldn't tell where it went.
I lost them.
"Ugh," I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. How did this happen? I- no, I lost them. I wasn't going to see those clothes again. I needed new ones. Standing back up, I looked down at my makeshift skirt. Tied off as it was, the blanket covered it dangly bits, all the way down to my knee. The blanket wasn't big enough when I slept with it, and now it seemed painfully small.
I was going to have to buy more clothes. Which would cost me money. Money that I didn't have. Should I dip into our savings? I'm sure Hestia would understand when I explained what happened, but how much would it cost? A lot, given my size, and I didn't know enough to stop myself from getting ripped off.
Very aware of the 1000 valis in my inventory, I ran a hand through my hair, noting that some grease was starting to build up.
Looking down at myself, I shook my head. "Fuck it," I muttered crossly to myself, stomping my way out of the cellar. I needed money for armor and clothes. I needed to go down into the Dungeon. I pulled my sword and scabbard from my inventory before I stepped out of the building. I turned to the Tower of Babel and started walking, silently fuming every step of the way. I strode forward with a single-minded focus, uncaring that I didn't have my armor in my inventory or my shoes. All because I wanted to cover my tracks about my inventory, so I had to be seen with them on and taking them off at home.
Thankfully, it was still fairly early so the city wasn't in full swing yet. Though, that didn't mean that the streets were empty. Far from it. I earned more than a few looks from those I walked by, ranging from outright amusement to sly smirks to scowls to wolf whistles. From men and women. When I made myself this hot, I really didn't think I'd end up walking through a city half-naked.
With burning cheeks, I walked up the stairs into the Guild. I'm not sure if the gods in Heaven could hear my prayers, but I was praying my heart out to them any way that I didn't run into anyone - annd there's Eina. The brown-haired elf eyes zeroed in on my pretty much as soon as I stepped through the doors.
I offered her a smile, snapping her out of whatever stunned dazed she was in. I can't imagine she saw many adventurers that were stupid enough to enter the Dungeon half-naked. Without any armor on. Gods, I was so stupid. Eina seemed to pick up on my stupidity from where she was standing because she was quick to cut me off.
"Um," she started, not sure where to start. Which was fair. I had a whole situation going on.
"Kids are evil," I supplied, more or less summing up my feelings on children going forward. "They stole my clothes. My only set of clothes. And now I'm going into the Dungeon in a blanket to make money so I can buy new ones and not default on the armor I purchased." I said, not angry...but...no, I was angry. Fuck those k- actually, just fuck it.
"O-oh…" Eina muttered, giving me a pitying look. Not the kind of pity that would give me the clothes off her back, not that they would fit, but telling me that she wouldn't do anything about my problem. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I understand you've made some progress in the Dungeon, but going down there without armor is reckless."
I don't think she would accept the reasoning that I forgot my armor and as too pissed to go back and get it as an excuse.
"I really don't have much of a choice at the moment," I said, some of my frustration leaking through. I needed money. I hated needing money. Since I moved out of my parent's house the day I turned eighteen, I struggled to keep my head above water. I managed it by pinching every penny hard enough that it bruised. And now, in the span of a day, I was around 5000 in debt. At least.
Eina pushed up her glasses, an expression of disappointment hovering around her. "I can't stop you, but please, reconsider. Have you considered taking out a loan?" She offered, trying to nudge me off my path.
I shook my head. I spent my entire life, my last life, without ever going into debt. The idea galled at me -- I had my reasons for never wanting to go into debt. Being in as deep as I was to Welf was already too much for me, I could accept it only because I knew I could pay it back quickly. Racking up further debt with the Guild? No, I couldn't do it. Especially when there was a much simpler option in front of me.
"I know what I'm doing is stupid and dangerous," I admitted freely. "But I'm doing it. I've gotten pretty good with dealing with goblins, I won't go past the first floor, and if I do find myself in a bad spot, I'll turn tail and run." I said, hitting all angles of attack. Unfortunately, my words didn't make her magically okay with what I was doing but her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Please be careful. Misha would be really upset if you…" Eina trailed off, getting a nod from me.
"I don't plan on dying any time soon. I'll be as safe as I can," I said, stepping past her, hearing her mutter something under her breath but I couldn't make out what. It didn't matter. I had a goal and I was going to see it through. I walked into the Dungeon, unsheathing my sword and depositing the sheath into my inventory. As soon as I stepped foot in it properly, a goblin lunged at me.
I cut it in half, gaining the first magic stone of the evening.
For hours, I vented my frustrations on the goblin, slaughtering them in droves. I felt the effects of my status update -- my body felt a little more nimble, my hearing was a little sharper. Goblins came at me in groups, but none came close to taking a bite out of me this time. It seemed between my status update and getting used to their attack patterns, I could dispatch them with relative ease.
I beheaded one goblin, before bringing my sword back down and bisection another with the backswing. Two more kills, two more magic stones. My breathing was steady as I walked over the rough stone ground. Maybe I should have gone back for my shoes and armor, I just hadn't been able to stop myself from coming straight here.
Even hours later, I still felt the anger simmering in my chest. I was robbed by a couple of kids. I couldn't catch up with them, and then I lost them. That was pathetic. Because of it, I was in the Dungeon wearing a blanket. I looked like an idiot. I sure felt like one. "When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna…!" I brought my sword down on another goblin, finishing the thought.
A sigh escaped me, knowing that I was lying. Pushing my hair out of my face with some irritation, I said status to summon the screen. I tsked when I saw my pitiful gains. A (+1) to Endurance and Dexterity after killing nearly thirty goblins. All in an hour's work. Between the monster stones and monster drops, maybe I would have enough…
A sigh escaped me as I found myself wandering to the second floor. I should keep grinding. For one, I was still pissed, and two I might as well make as much money as I could at once. I wandered the halls, slaughtering whatever goblin dared to spawn near me until another hour ticked by.
Then I heard the sounds of chatter echo through the empty halls. Of wooden wheels on stone, the wood creaking with every bump. I looked up, eyes narrowed. Who could that be? It sounded like there were a lot of them.
Soon enough I had my answer. I saw a short man, bright blonde hair, with blue eyes that stood out with his dark purple shirt. He carried a spear that was twice the size of him on one shoulder as he looked up to chat with an elf walking beside him. She was taller than him by a head and shoulders taller than him.
She had long mint green hair, dull green eyes with sharp pointed ears that poke out of her hair. She wore a high collared coat that stopped midthigh with a cream-colored cloak on top of it. She carried a magic staff in her hands, it almost looked like a spear but teardrop crystals branched out of it, connected by a silver hoop.
Finn the Braver and Riveria Nine Hells. Both Level 6 adventurers. They chatted with each other, paying me no mind as I stood off some distance away, watching not only then pass by, but over a dozen others. I saw more familiar faces as they trailed by, wagons of supplies protectively placed between them. I saw Ais and Tiona, along with Tione, Tiona's twin sister. Along with Bete, a silver-haired sour attitude werewolf, another blonde elf. Lefiya, the elf that had the hots for Ais.
Where were they all going? With the...oh. They were going on the expedition, weren't they? The one they were coming back from at the start of canon.
Which meant that I was two weeks away from the start of canon.