Spirit Taming

Chapter 205: Changes

"Hey, Clark? Can I ask you something?" Just before they reached the gate where the group would take a carriage to the outskirts, Isa stopped to ask a question.

"Of course, I can help with whatever you need." Clark glanced at all three of his teammates and found that they were all waiting to hear the answer. It was definitely about the other day and how he managed to treat the ill beast.

"How did you learn alchemy? You aren't secretly taking an alchemy class, right?" The three girls leaned in waiting for the response.

"I am not taking a class at all about alchemy. I just happened to understand it a little. I read about it somewhat and knew that one concoction. It was really lucky. But It would be useful to learn more." Part of what Clark expected was a rumor about him doing alchemy in public to circulate over the next few days. From there he had a feeling that another professor would come looking for him.

"Well, I for one think it's great. We should all learn basic alchemy so that we can make healing potions or other medicines. Especially antidots. They might save our lives." Maria had a different opinion. She thought it was better to take this as a chance to improve all of their team.

"Then I will find us the proper reading materials when we return." Since Ella was already planning to do so, Isa just shrugged and agreed as well. She had never intended to learn about alchemy. However, the knowledge would help her when she needed materials later in life. Knowing more was always advantageous for any merchant.

"Are you four here for the carriage? It is rented under the name Isa Rolly." The man that was calling out to them was looking at a piece of paper with his assignment. He had been hired to take four people to the fallen orc dungeon and back after a full day.

"Yes sir, that is us. I was the one that made this reservation. How long will it take to get there?" Isa was taking charge while the other three made their way inside the carriage. Clark didn't hesitate to let Devi move around the carriage invisibly. He would be their lookout while they traveled.

Once they began to move, the carriage took very well traveled paths outside the city. The fallen orc dungeon was one of the few dungeons that was able to be rented out. It was this way because the singular enemies made it easier for younger tamers to train their battle styles. It was also because the smaller family that owned it needed the money.

This was often the case when any family found a dungeon.

"I wonder if we will ever find a new dungeon to explore…" Maria's daydream came out of her mouth as she lost herself in thought. It was an interesting idea to have since many tamers only dreamt of such things.

"You know, if we are out in the wilderness training enough, we just might. I hear that before we move from first year to second year we are required to spend an entire month in the wilderness. We should use that time to search for one." As much as Clark knew it was a pipe dream, he still supported the idea. It really could be fun.

"We are just about there. A few stragglers from the last group are still camping nearby and three traveling merchants are set up there. If you need anything I will be resting nearby where the guard house is." The carriage driver called out this information since he would need to care for the striped horses that pulled the carriages. They were his livelihood after all.

"That was a lot faster than I thought. Good." It was lucky that dungeons were near the city. Clark could tell that it was one reason why the city had grown so well. The dungeons were endless fountains of materials that could be used to do many different things. Food, armors, and even medicines were just three such examples of what resources dungeons held.

"Remember, this dungeon is a rotting forest because the fallen orcs only break and destroy things out of anger. They are completely mindless for the most part. Do not touch anything that appears to be rotting." Isa had to warn them all again. The dangers of poison were always there, especially in a dungeon such as this.

"I think I can smell what you are talking about." Maria had her hand clasped over her nose as they approached a tall door made of stone. It was housed by an archway of similar gray stones but clearly had no human origin.

"You must be the new round of rentals. Welcome to the fallen orc dungeon. You will find many things here today. You have booked us for a full twenty four hours. That means you will have a decent amount of rewards after your hunt. Please feel free to sell things as soon as you exit.

If you are worried about carrying things, you can pay one of the porters we employ for a small fee."

The man that greeted them as they hopped out of the carriage was clearly a person of status when it came to the family that owned this dungeon. He was dressed nicer than the other people around. Especially comparing him to the few guards and other staff around.

"No need, we will be entering and exiting with everything we desire to take out." Clark silenced the man who was about to start another attempt at making money. It was clear that this was just part of his job and his attempt to become richer.

"Ah, well then let's open that door for you. Get on your way and earn back the price you paid." The man nearly pushed them in to the dungeon. As much as they all wanted to curse him, he was just pushing along his business.

"Rude, he is better staying here outside the walls where he can be rude to the trees. A failure of a merchant if I ever saw one." The fuming anger that Isa had dissipated as she realized that the man would never be a merchant. He was sent here by the family and that was all.

So, this place has a pretty stale feeling." While Isa was distracted, Maria had begun to take in the feeling of the dungeon. She was just on the first steps but she could already feel the humid and stagnant air.

"This feels less like an orc dungeon and more like some rotting tomb." The only reason Clark said this was because he could feel the tinge of death energy in the air. Devi could also sense it and was gratefully absorbing it for later use.

"It shouldn't be that way. Yes, it should rot. That is a normal occurrence in a fallen orc dungeon. However, the dungeon should have a warm breeze and partially cloudy atmosphere on the first floor. This is not normal." Since Ella had compiled the information about the dungeon, no one doubted her.

"You wouldn't think that something is wrong with the dungeon…would you? Isa had become slightly fearful while thinking about how easy it was to get this fallen orc dungeon.

"The dungeon is changing. Isn't it?" Clark understood the rare phenomenon that had happened. The very thing that many people hid from others because a changing dungeon was dangerous.

This process happened now and then to a dungeon that had high amounts of certain monsters. When they changed, the changes could be very dangerous or minimal. But that was just it, when the dungeon changed it became a different problem altogether.

A fallen orc dungeon becoming more rotten like undead meant that they are now much tougher to defeat. They would not feel pain. They would not stop when someone attacked. That meant that they were potentially out of the group's league to handle.

"Let's just move slowly and begin to record what we see. Ella should be able to make a detailed map of the dungeon. Even if it shifted already." This was a good chance to work on reconnaissance and also sell a good map of a potentially altered dungeon.

"The stairs and path appear to be the same. That just means the monsters may have changed." It was no sooner spoken by Ella before Clark spotted a beast.

'Rotten fallen orc- uncommon

The rotten fallen orc has come in to contact with a zombie bite. This caused the brain to rot along with its body. It only cares for death and endless consumption. The fingernails hold a potent rotting flesh that can easily infect anything it scratches. The weak point is the base of the neck that would normally be covered in tough hair.

Believe it or not, the rotten fallen orc does have growth potential. They can become…'

The system gave Clark all he needed to know as he drew his spear. He didn't need anyones help to win this.