Chp 50: Problem Solving? (Patreon)

It took four days to get any real idea of what was going on for teleport costs. Distance was undoubtedly a factor, the cost shrinking a bit with every mile closer the group traveled. Reasonably, they could have gotten closer instead of continuing and just used it if the border was closed. It would have freed up mana for me, but I didn’t suggest it.

After the first test was done, I sent Ban through to join up with his people and do a bit more convincing. They’d agreed to my initial test, and it had gone well. I could tell they were still nervous, though still willing to try. Having Ban tell them in person that everything was fine in the valley relieved their worries.

The transport rate went ahead at a steady pace. Since things weren’t dire yet, I wanted to keep them that way. The men had been chased by seekers. Another group of them might turn up at any time. Every elder and child removed increased their ability to run from an enemy. It also increased their supplies per person.

Slithering around my chamber of machinations, I went to my teleport notes section of the wall. I logged the weight of those who’d gone through. Distance seemed to be the more significant issue when determining cost, but weight was also a part and a less predictable one. 

Two children might be far apart in weight yet still cost the same while another might be more expensive despite only being a bit off from that pair. It suggested a bracket was involved, but I didn’t have enough raw data to figure it out. 

“Everything still going well?” Henry called from the entrance of the chamber. I bounced up a bit, able to hover for short periods or when I was surprised.

“Thankfully,” I replied. Henry wasn't in one of his usual dressy outfits. Instead, he was wearing a black cap sleeve tunic with trousers and a blue sash tied at an angle across his hips. His rose crest was embroidered on the left side of his tunic in a metallic blue thread. I smiled at the renaissance casual vibe it gave off.

“New book?” I asked rather than checking the title myself. Using the system for every little thing was a bad habit.

“The philosopher Atlos” Henry answered, heading for the couch. Previous to the incident with my core, he’d have sent a formal request before visiting. We’d also have talked mostly about the dungeon. Now, something had shifted. He would drop in to spend his free time with me if he wasn’t working on a project.

I smiled, happy with the development. Henry had comforted me during the crisis with my core, and I appreciated it. Even so, it wasn’t something that should be treated the same way as more mundane intimacies. 

I half-ass recalled something about relationships built on swinging bridges. Just not well enough to think of more than the gist. It amounted to feelings during hardship might not hold up during peaceful times. 

Henry started reading, and I forced myself not to keep glancing at him and get back to work. That didn’t stop me from heading over to the couch once I was done taking notes. Time passed quietly for a few days, but it wasn’t destined to last.

As the last few people were transported, a problem presented itself. I already had a video call open with Elim as his mother and daughter teleported. The Lepusan had already finished up the previous day. I wasn’t above playing favorites, but Elim had insisted they didn’t need to jump the line. It was a sweet aspect of his character I appreciated, even as it annoyed me.

“Elim, what the fuck!?” I demanded. As soon as his mother and daughter were through, he put the pad into his inventory, mine by extension.

“The Lepusan noticed a math problem. Someone has to take care of the pad unless you have an alternative,” Elim said with a thin smile. I was pissed enough I not only hovered but rose several feet into the air. 

I was recovering, albeit slowly, from what had happened with my core. I still mostly slithered, but rage seemed to have a tonic effect.

“You can-” I stopped. My first impulse was to tell Elim to smash it, but that wouldn’t work. It would still leave him stranded. As I tried to think of an alternative my thoughts ground to a halt. Everything I could think of was essentially a Lupin the 3rd mechanism. Overly complicated and not feasible to build on site. 

The transport pad couldn’t transport itself. It was such an obvious problem I wished I could blame not thinking of it on something. Unfortunately, I knew deep in my pseudo flesh this fuck up was all me.

“I mean… could you set up something to fall on it after you leave?” I asked, picturing him holding a rope with a rock tied to one end and hanging over a tree branch. A plan I already realized was garbage.

I’d made the pad out of a two-inch slab of stone. It was too god damned heavy and sturdy. Not to mention Elim might transport anything he was touching.

“Scratch that,” I said unhappily, and he gave me a gentle smile.

“This is why the Lepusan trusted you so much, isn’t it?” I asked instead of trying to come up with another scheme. The men in the valley had seen its inhabitants and, by extension, the hermit had good intentions. The women and children of the camp had not had such a luxury. They’d been presented with an impossible feat of magic by someone who amounted to a stranger. A human stranger.

I’d sent Ban through after a couple successful tests to encourage them. Yet it had been Elim who initially talked them into it when my letter failed to fully convince them. Now I knew how he’d done it.

“It’s about time I got to work anyway. I’m at your command, Mistress,” Elim said, giving me a formal bow. I was taken aback for a moment but then just nodded.

“Your mom is aware of what's happening, right? She’s not going to be storming the dungeon to box my ears when she finds out?” I asked. Elim’s eyes went round in surprise before he burst out laughing. It went on for an insultingly long moment, tears forming in his eyes and leaving him heaving for breath.

“Lords of goodness, no! She suggested it. We both want to help you how we can,” Elim said finally. I looked away, still annoyed but touched.

“I’ll figure out how to add a self-destruct to the pad. Then you can still use it in an emergency,” I said, unhappy but mollified.

“Your consideration is appreciated, as always,” Elim said then bowed again before waving and cutting the connection. It was about time he started getting away from the former Lepusan camp. I’d call him back after calming down and coming up with a mission.

“Have you reset him yet?” Henry asked from where he was sitting on the couch with a book. Though he wasn’t with me the entire day anymore, he’d started spending his free time in my chamber of machinations.

“No, I kept getting sidetracked,” I said, feeling like an idiot for forgetting. It wasn’t a dungeon related thing, and he’d been out of consistent danger for a while. I should have been thinking about it, but it hadn't been pressing. I sent a text to Elim asking him about his wishes on the point. 

I’d be getting the pop-up, but I wasn't going to exclude him. We could do it via video chat easily enough.

“I sent him a text. I’ll do it when he has some time to rest,” I explained, and Henry nodded before going back to his book. As a skeleton, he didn’t have biological needs to get the way when he was doing something. It was likely he’d keep reading until he had to do something else.

With the Lepusan sorted for the moment, I went to my desk. It was time to start going through some of the feedback I’d gotten from the bloody mana fever group text. When my mind had cleared, I sent it with a short description of how the disease worked, the tools I was developing, and my lack of a plan.

The consensus was that the tools sounded wonderful. Suggestions for other ones that would be helpful arrived quickly. Unfortunately, no ideas for tackling bloody mana fever came of it. 

I wasn’t particularly discouraged, though. I’d included a limited explanation of what I knew about it and how diseases worked in general. That had led to a lot of questions I was still working on answering.

In the meantime, I also needed to work a variety of healing potions into the Lepusan’s diet as discreetly as possible. Not hard to do when every single store owner was figuratively on my payroll. The trick was spacing out the non-critical ones, so the effects wouldn’t be as noticeable. I wanted my new population to take root and multiply, not start a cult.

I snorted at that thought. I’d spent days on a grand temple, and I didn’t want them to start a cult?

“Hm?” Henry inquired.

“Just laughing at myself,” I explained. 

“About what?” Henry asked, looking up from his book.

“It just struck me that some things I do might seem a little… Hypocritical I guess,” I started to explain. Henry looked intrigued and placed a velvet ribbon to keep his page as he closed his book and sat up.

“I built a temple but I don’t want the ‘hermit’ to be worshiped or the valley to be sacred. The design is meant to help them kickstart their own religion based on their goddess,” I continued. Henry nodded, knowing most of that already. I’d had to explain why I wanted the temple treated like something forgotten by the village rather than have the bone brigade introduce the Lepusan to it.

“Y-your plans c-can be be a little o-opaque,” Henry said with a shrug.

“But h-hypocritical? Only if th-they th-think in black and and white,” He added. I smiled feeling reassured. Henry was aware of the inner workings of the dungeon in a way a casual observer wouldn’t be. 

“Thank you,” I said, still smiling. Henry nodded before returning to his book. It must have been a real pages turner for him to be so eager about it.

I worked for a while but seeing that he was still reading I felt a mischievous. 

“Henry, would you like a drink?” I asked, curious if he would register the question.

“Thank you,” He muttered, still reading. I placed a can of Chaos beverage near him but he didn’t look up or make a move to take it.

“What about a hug?” I added, fighting back laughter. He didn’t reply, lost in his book. I wasn’t bothered by being ignored given the circumstances. There was something about the intensity of his focus I found soothing. 

I went back to work but still found myself drawn to watch him at times. A not entirely unpleasant acidic tingle rolled down my back. It wasn’t long ago that Henry had been just as focused on me. I'd been thankful for it at the time, and my appreciation for it had only grown since.

He’d admitted he’d been afraid I might slip away and go back to my core if left alone. A concern that hadn’t crossed my mind but was valid. If I hadn’t had him, Chris, and the hounds distracting me from my pain and cloying need I might have.

I looked at him fondly. I felt like I was in a good place and could accomplish a lot. That sentiment lasted all of ten minutes before I finally got the text from Agony I'd been waiting for.

42,

Since you can still receive texts, I know you're at least okayish. I hope you stay that way. DO NOT spend time with your core. What you described is not even close to normal!

I literally can't say more about it. Just try to stay safe!

My orbs flickered as I finished reading the text.

Fuck.