Fox Tale Of A Dungeon Boss

Michael held the basic double-edged two-handed sword and swung it around a few times, before holding the large blade in one hand.

"Huh... so I can use it like it's meant to, but if I need a free hand I could just use one hand by adding more power to my strength."

Michael sheathed the blade on his back, the top part of the sheath only covering in side of the blade, having the opening extend down a bit on one side to make it easier to unsheathe considering its length.

Layla was given a short sword, like a gladius, about two feet long in length and a couple inches in width, meant more for stabbing.

"Isn't this kinda... small?" Layla asked doubtfully, looking up at the silver elf. "I'm not THAT short!"

Morain laughed slightly. "If you're facing something that can't be killed by two feet of steel, you shouldn't be facing it at all."

Layla looked back at the short sword.

'...yeah it's long enough to go through somebody already.'

Helena was given a spear, with the advice of "You want distance as your friend, and something easy to use."

Her spear had a small cross guard below the tip, like a boar-hunting spear, meant to prevent enemies from sliding down the shaft to get close, forcing them at a distance even as she stabbed them.

It did mean that the blade would make shallower wounds... but again, if a foot of steel isn't enough to kill it, deeper won't necessarily help.

Layla also took two curved daggers for close-ranges slashing attacks, while Helena took one.

Xandra took a large shield made by planks of wood bound in iron strips and rivets, with a protecting leather layer over the wood and to make a strap on the inside of the slightly curved rectangular shield.

Pedro took a thin bladed sword, a rapier(not the fencing kind), as well as a bow and a quiver of arrows.

Kai picked up a pair of hatchets.

Helena smirked at him. "Don't most boys want a big-awesome sword?" She asked mockingly.

Kai simply spun one of the axes in his hand and looked at the cold steel blades attached to the smooth wood handles seriously. "No, I feel good with this. I'm not a trained swordsman, I'm more liable to stab myself or take someone else's head off if I try some fancy swordplay. With axes though... how much simpler could fighting be?"

Helena sneered. "Barbaric you mean."

Kai gave her a grin revealing his teeth while his pupils narrowed into slits.

"Barbaric? Oh my dear, you don't know the meaning of the word."

Helena felt a cold chill shudder down her spine at the positively threatening words and demeanor the jovial foxkin suddenly held.

Morain smiled gently, ever inscrutable behind that smiling expression. "The nature of a predator never changes, just the manner of the hunt. Anyways... I believe that is all?"

He looked to Hamish as he said that as well.

Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his muscles noticeably relaxing as tension flowed out of his shoulders. He looked up, his pupils once more dilated, and smiled at Helena. "Sorry, I got carried away. Shall we get this boat going?"

"I don't see a boat." Layla looked around in confusion, and Kai opened his mouth to explain, before giving up. "Never mind."

~ ~ ~

They walked out of the gate, Hamish still leading them.

"So what are we actually supposed to..." Layla trailed off in silence, and the others also followed her gaze to look to Hamish.

"Do? Well..." Hamish cracked his neck comfortably. "Don't overthink. I'm just taking you to help participate in clearing one of the spawning nests. You just need to kill a Mogle each."

"We're all expected to get at least one kill?" Michae asked, possibly with some concern in his voice. It was hard to tell what he was feeling with his mechanical and echoing voice.

"No, but your party has a minimum of the same amount of members. You all need to kill 6 Mogles in total as a party." Hamish made himself more clear after accidentally causing a slight misunderstanding.

Suddenly the adventurers of Amnesia paused as they all got a notification.

<Mission Detected! Mission: Clear the Mogle Spawn Nest!>

"Mission detected?" Pedro blinked. "It doesn't say accepted? I don't see anything to accept it either...?" He looked to Hamish, who obviously "gave" them this mission.

"I accept?" Nothing changed in the system notification, and Hamish laughed.

"Hahaha, oh that's a good one-oh wait shit!" Hamish paused in shock. "Right, you wouldn't know would you? The party leader is meant to be the one who chooses missions, unless you change the party dynamic by formally discussing everyone's rights in chain of command. The system is a construct of order, it's not perfectly flexible after all. Change is the domain of chaos usually."

They all blinked at him... and then all the others swung their heads to look at Kai, who tried to look nonchalant. "Well... yes. On behalf of Amnesia, I accept this mission by the Adventurers Association."

<Mission Accepted: Clear the Mogle Spawn Nest!>

<A spawn nest is the place of chaotic influence that spawns an infinite number of chaotic beings over time. The confinement of order restricts this to occur at specific times, and only for specific forms of chaotic beings. You are expected to clear it and limit the spread of chaos! Note: you will be acting as assistance and trainees as a new party, and will act as a small secondary force while another party bears the brunt.>

Kai flinched. "Gah... I hate it when it throws paragraphs into my head."

Xandra grimaced slightly, while Helena turned to look at Hamish. "Okay, I've kinda just been going along with it, but now I really gotta ask... what exactly is this... system?"

Hamish raised an eyebrow. "The... thing that grants skills, missions, level ups and magic? That you see? Every day? Your entire life?"

"But why is it called a 'system'?"

The others nodded, also curious even as the kept walking towards the forest.

Hamish g.r.o.a.n.e.d. "How-what-gah! What do you expect me to say? How am I supposed to explain the sky, the ocean, or the earth? Am I to explain what the sun is? It's that thing that's right there! I really don't understand what's so difficult to understand."

Kai caught Helena's eye as she opened her mouth to continue speaking, and slowly shook his head. 'There's no point, this "system" is such a basic part of this world it's as ordinary and hard to describe as such things as the sky and earth. But why am I so sure that the system was not a part of our world...? If it wasn't, then why do I understand all these things that it describes if I've never had it to tell these things? If I never had skills or levels?'

Kai once again felt the frustration of having no choice but to put aside his questions. 'One day, I WILL find answers. I swear I will.'

They continued walking, and the members of Amnesia inquired as to what exactly a "Mogle" is.

Hamish frowned. "Well... imagine a Rapt-no wait. You don't know of any chaos monsters if you don't know what a Mogle is... okay so..."

He frowned as he pinched his chin thoughtfully. "Uhhh... order animals that resemble a Mogle? Let's see... it's furry, small, but a bit bigger than most cats? Like sheepdog size I guess."

Xandra raised an eyebrow while Layla blinked doubtfully. "That... is it a monster? It's so small and fluffy..."

Hamish quickly shook his head. "No, it's fur is dark and filthy like that of plague rats, don't even imagine it's anything like the soft coats of a sheepdog."

Layla leaned back. "Oh... sorry." She felt awkward clearly as her bubbly steps quieted to her nervous small shuffle steps. Her bat ears also shyly lowered, and Hamish looked awkward at how hard she took it.

Michael stumbled at that moment, almost tripping over a rock, and swung himself back up. "Sorry."

Layla's awkwardness was instantly forgotten by her as she burst into giggles at the funny way Michael held himself after near tripping, almost comically so.

Hamish smiled briefly at the surprise before turning forward again, to continue and side-step Layla's sensitivity.

"So... furry, filthy, small and hooked claws that they use to grab walls and ceiling to crawl all over like a tide of disgusting pests, they live in large groups like swarms whenever they can, have next to no magic resistance at all, and their bones are as brittle as chicken bone."

Helena flinched at the mention of swarms, a look of disgust passing over her expression.

Hamish continued, but as he spoke Pedro sidled up next to Michael.

"Careful, with how exaggerated that fall was, I'm surprised Layla didn't realize you did it on purpose." Pedro gave a teasing smile before sliding away.

"They have little flaps of skin between their legs on each side, allowing them to glide short distances, and their eyes shine a bright red in the dark due to them having firesight-"

"What's firesight?"

Hamish paused, stopping his steps. "They can see by heat rather than light." He then continued walking.

"Ohhh..." Kai nodded. "Heatvision."

Hamish gave him a weird look. "...sure. Anyways, they see by firesight, and true light blinds them, while light magic is even more effective than the other attributes. In other words, Mogle's are dirty, weak pests that try to overwhelm you with numbers, but will be culled like rats by a single area of effect light or holy spell/skill. Understand?"

They nodded, and he sighed in some exhaustion. 'I never knew guiding otherworlders would be so exhausting... I have to not only act as guide, but constantly answer questions nobody ever has to ask!'

"Oh! Right, they kinda look like squirrels I guess. Giant, dirty, sharp clawed and fanged flying squirrels. Finally remembered an animal to match them with." Hamish muttered the last bit mostly to himself while the others traded looks.

'...mogles... are monster squirrels. Okay. Sure.'