Spirit Taming

Chapter 206: Rotten Hunting

"This is a normal progression for such a dungeon. It's the same with the feral demi human dungeon in the south. That one had a similar progression because the exiled demi humans were sent there. They were the unintelligent that could not rise to be more than beasts." Ella recalled this from her studies. It was common in the higher years to learn about such places.

"Then we will need to be ready for that. If this is the next stage of the dungeon then it will change classifications." Since Clark was ready for it and this was not an outline happening, he prepared to deal with the rotting orc in front of them.

"Wait, it can't sense us. Look." Maria held Clark back and pointed out the feature of the rotting orc. "Its eyes and ears have been rotted out. That means it can't do much. Even if it smells us…it won't be able to over its own smell."

"You're correct. The zombie dungeons all have this same quality. They will rely on the energy. The magic you use. If you attacked you would send it in to a wild frenzy. This could be the best way for us to claim some of the items that may be left here." Clark felt that even Isa knew more leaving him behind.

"Maybe I have focused on battle too much…"

'The host has realized his greatest weakness. Single minded focus on battle, revenge, and blind progress.'

The system seemed to be mocking him but he quickly remembered that it had more intelligence. In his mind, Clark responded. "Is this why you were silent for so long even though you said you had more intelligence?"

'The host is correct. The hidden conditions have been met. The dungeon challenge shall begin.

'Quest: Fully unlock the system intelligence

The host has finally realized their weakness and requires the proper guidance. For the many days, the host has been in emotional and distracted states. Now there is an opportunity without distraction to improve the core strengths of the host.

Requirement: clear the rotting orc dungeon

Reward: System intelligence fully released. Analysis, guidance, and some hidden information now accessible.

Good luck my host.'

"I've decided. We are going to clear this dungeon today. From what you showed me it is a small one floor dungeon with roaming beasts. That means we just need to defeat them and find the rotting orc that has become the big boss." The way Clark said this made the three girls wonder where he had gotten this sudden passion.

"Crimson, cut the tendons of that orc's legs. Devi, you get the arms. I will finish it." The sudden orders as Crim appeared were followed to the letter.

Crim rushed forward and slashed out with his claws before the rotting orc could do a thing. The first slash cleanly cut through the soft flesh of the orc's left leg causing it to fall. While in the air, the second slash of Crim's claws cut the other leg clean off.

There was a small amount of laughter as Devi appeared in the air. Two claws appeared made of dark ghostly aura, Clark could sense the condensed death energy within them. "Good!" Clark watched as the claws sheared the arms from the orc. He was proud that Devi had mastered the death energy to this small degree. But even a small degree of mastery was a great power.

More than any other beast with any other energy.

With a single fluid movement, Clark's spear fell and pierced the Orc's head. "So, how do you like the new move I have been reading about and will be training today? It's called the revolving moon. Basically, it's a throwing art that fits in to my spearmanship."

"I have one, and one request. Stop surprising us like this." Isa felt that she had radically underestimated Clark yet again. She could see value in many things but every time she put value on Clark she always underestimated him. Even when she felt she was giving him too much credit.

"You know he won't do that. I am very sure that it all just appears in his mind by chance." Maria laughed slightly thinking about the many times she had been surprised by Clark.

"A good addition for our battles. Those throwing needles are better for luring and slightly weakening beasts. This will be more lethal."

"I agree." Clark was sure that Ella saw the massive benefits that would come with him using this revolving moon move to throw his spear. But what he wasn't sure about was how often he would get to train it. This move meant he lost one of his spears and would need to fight without having one as a back up.

"There used to be trees here." Maria had begun to look around the area where they had just fought the rotting orc. Beneath the path, they were on were many broken parts of trees in the mud. The ground seemed to have helped the roots rot as the bodies of rocs had built up.

"It is more like a field of rotting things than anything else. This could be very good energy for Lit since she needs the poison energies. I also think that Devi is able to gain a lot. From what Clark could sense, the energy that Devi was using was flowing much more easily than before. This became more and more clear as Devi moved around him with fluidity that he lacked elsewhere.

"Then the materials we find will be mostly for Clark and Maria. That means we will need to find some of what is left from before the rot set in. We might be able to find a few things." Isa was already colluding with Ella. they would be scouting out materials that might have been left over from the recently added fallen orcs or even the natural plants that grew here.

"There will be additional new plants we may be able to find. The rotting orchids, red moss, and even mushroom varieties. This is a good place for all of them. I gather that there will also be rare new materials that may be specifically feeding on the rotting bodies of the orcs.

Zombie orcs are rare but these are in the process of becoming them." Ella had already started examining the orc body to scrape off small mushrooms beginning to grow.

"I didn't realize that there would be such things. I will keep an eye out." Clark glanced at the small mushrooms beginning to grow on the orc's body to see what the system told him about them.

' white bubble mushroom- uncommon

The white bubble mushroom gets its name because of the round shape of the mushroom capo and the pure white coloration. This mushroom holds a unique poison energy that can assist the growth of poison type bests. It can also be used to make an anti venom for the howling baboons that inhabit the lush jungles.'

"If there are spores from those white bubble mushrooms we should save them. If we can grow a few in the lab we might be able to sell them regularly." The idea was caught by Isa instantly.

"So you want to become a botanist or an herbalist too? It's not far from an alchemist. You will be stretched pretty thin through unless we find someone with a nature related beast to care for them. Like a forest fairy or a green thumbed gnome." The teasing voice that Isa had was also one that recognize what Clark had said. He had already found a way to make a small amount of money constantly.

A way that they could constantly profit even when their business slowed down.

"We can't get distracted though. Save the body and we can deal with it later." Clark said this due to the thud he could hear in the distance. Another rotting orc was nearby and they could keep hunting. "Maria will take this one down. Your midnight eel needs to be able to see real battle even if it is still too young to attack."

"I agree, I will handle it." Lit wrapped around Maria becoming the equipment form that she had gained by becoming a princess jellyfish. The aura that Maria had while weaning the cape made her seem like a royal princess. As if she was meant to stand slightly above others.

The shadow beneath Maria's feet sword as the midnight eel revealed itself and swam through the air. It watched carefully while it eyed the shadows. It preferred to be there to hide and relax. Being out in the open made it very uncomfortable.

"It's already grown an inch since last time I measured. The development must be sped up by the unique taming space that Maria has. This should show us how fast a beast can grow when raised by a tamer much stronger than it." Ella's notes were showcasing how much she wished to learn from this for when they advised someone about a new beast. The perfect learning opportunity.