“Damnit,” I said, immediately regretting having spoken out loud.
New Quest! I have dreamed thee too long.
Part one of two.
NPC Dong Quixote’s best friend in the world, Corcunda, also known as Corky, has been located after so long. Reunite them.
Part one is practically a freebie, though with these races, NPCs are about to start dropping like toenails.Finishing part one will automatically trigger part two, which might be a little more difficult to pull off. Spoiler alert. It will require Corcunda’s second half, nicknamed Porky, who is also somewhere on this floor. After you locate this other half, you’ll have to find one of several fleshmancers wandering about. You’ll probably want to figure all this out sooner rather than later.
Reward:If you successfully complete this quest, two stand-ins of your choosing will be sent to the Arena on the 11th floor.
Jasha the bugbear grunted and shot awake, eyes wide as he looked around, focusing first on the razor fox, then on me and Donut. He let out a snort and shook his head. The water from the kiddie pool at his feet splashed.
“Where’s my beer?” he asked.
[ 14 ]
Entering Hungry Eyes Vendor Village.
Safe room rules do NOT apply in the main square.
Even in safe room areas, poisoning rules do not apply. Eat at your own risk.
After taking our leave of the bugbears and razor fox, we made our way through the portal. I was in my messages, attempting to find out everything I could about this arena thing on the eleventh floor.
We really needed to focus onthisfloor and the races, but the AI’s words had intrigued me.
This was what we knew so far. When one killed certain mobs on this floor, they were given an option to take the experience or have the audience vote. If the audience voted one way, the creatures would survive and get sent to this arena. But if the people voted another way, a “stand-in” was sent. It seemed these stand-ins were people outside the dungeon ecosystem. Like, people from the resort on the eighteenth floor.
The arena was on the eleventh floor.
Nobody knew anything beyond that.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If we had a choice on who to send to the eleventh, what did that really mean? Who couldwe pick? The AI had dragged Princess Formidable from her spaceship to the Desperado Club. Could I pick someone from orbit and force them into the dungeon? Could I pick someone who was currently on the twelfth? Could I pick a liaison like that Harbinger guy? Could I pick Prime Minister Victory?
Who could I drag to the eleventh floor that would cause the most damage?
“Oi, don’t just stand there and block the portal, ass smear.”
I was pushed aside by a group of three Bactrian camels with old-school racing helmets as they emerged. These were clearly racers from a different group than our own. There was only one portal back to the cul-de-sac, and everybody used the same one.
“Well, excuse you,” Donut harrumphed as I closed out the chat and looked about.
“Eat my sandy ass,” one of the camels called without looking over his shoulder.
A large, bustling town filled with NPCs spread out before us with streets heading in all directions. It was dark outside, which was different than the midday appearance of our cul-de-sac, which was odd. As was the town’s appearance. Most of the towns here in the game had that faux-medieval style. Even Larracos had that grand old-timey feel.
This town was straight out of a 1980s neon-infused, cyberpunk fever dream.
To my left, a group of temples spread, all covered with gaudy flashing lights, including one right in the middle with a black “X” hanging over it. It took me a moment to realize the “X” was a game notification. It was the entrance to a Club Vanquisher, which I was now permanently banned from. Another street was full of flashing shops of all kinds with dozens and dozens of NPCs moving about. Shouting street vendors with food carts and what appeared to be glowing souvenirs littered the sidewalk.The majority of NPCs were gremlins with a smattering of Draconians.
Donut clicked her tongue. “You would think this pink-and-teal-and-purple aesthetic would be right up my alley, but it’s quite garish, don’t you think? Like I’m trapped in a clearance rack at a Claire’s. When you lean too hard into something, it just becomes a caricature of itself.” She gasped. “Carl, look! A hat vendor!” She jumped from my shoulder and bounded over.
Down a street with some shops and temples, a single storefront caught my eye. It was a blank storefront with no sign. The moment my eyes passed over it, a notification popped up.
C&W&U Location. Illegal Modifications and More. Grand Opening Soon.
I noted the store and turned my attention to our destination, a third street that held a group of bars.