"Who is the Boss?" Sham was grateful that Reynard had asked for a rundown of the rules before he (or perhaps Shingo) did something foolish, but the idea of a head of this dungeon intrigued him. Was it a human Gamer like them, or some strange species? Was the dungeon core alive like in some novels he read?
"Also I heard there were fights in some kind of arena that anyone could enter. I would like to enter the anything goes arena, the one with a 1-100 payout if I win." He reminded himself of the reason he had come here in the first place.
"The Boss is the Boss." The receptionist answered, smile still firmly attached to her face. "As for the Arena, please follow the red line on the ground. Blue lead to the Slot Machines and yellow to the Card Tables."
"You need an arena pass for that, and of course to actually head to the arena." I note.
"What does 'no use of skill' mean? Since I clearly haven't been chastised for the sustains I had active the last time I was here. And for that matter, how is that different from 'no cheating'?"
"No new skill in use. And of course someone can try to cheat without using skills."
"How do I get an arena pass? And where is the arena?" The questions were directed at both Gamer and receptionist.
"Again, follow the red line on the ground. An Arena Pass is a ticket that allow you to participate in the Arena Fights. It can be bought at the Arena."
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"Uh...yeah. Do that." Kyle thought. He hadn't considered the idea that mundane skills could fuse. But if they were synergistic and could fuse together, he could only assume that the resulting skill would be a unifying upgrade over what the three individual skills provided.
If not, well, he could always go back and buy new copies of the lost skills.
Code:
Fused skill finalized.
Cartography (Level 5)(50%): The skill that allow someone to find their way around, remember it with an high degree of accuracy and then replicate it with the same degree of accuracy. The use of proper tools help.
Thinking a moment, he accessed his Disguise Lv 6 Skillbook to consume it.
Code:
Disguise (Level 6)(0%): Hiding in plain sight by changing things about yourself: a new hat, a jacket, the clothes on your body, a bit of makeup, a wig, sunglasses... Everything can work, if you know how to use it.
Once at suitable altitude, Kyle flew towards the central region of the city. As he went, he both checked his mental radar and swapped through his various Mana and Ki senses to see if he could spot a hint of anything that might clue him in to where he was suppose to go; to see if the presence of Mana or Ki where it wasn't supposed to be might clue him in to the existence of a secret passageway.
It didn't really work a lot. The streets were far away and the traces of Ki or Mana were diluted and difficult to follow. Flying did help in letting him avoid obstacles, but also made difficult finding more clues.
He did get an interesting side effect, though.
Code:
Cartography gains 70% skill exp.
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That was unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. There was nothing I could really do immediately however, except perhaps one thing. The massive creatures seemed to be trying to find me by scent, but of course scent still needed something to be transmitted through. Thus, I used my hydrokinesis to grab the water directly around me and hold it in place. Hopefully, the surrounding water would still stream around it, but my scent would not be carried, instead trapped in the water under my control.
With that done, I observed the creatures, and tried to figure out two things: when the water would finish draining, and when I would be able to open the door. Then, I settled in to wait, ready to quickly propel myself away if the beasts detected me another way.
She was correct in her deduction about the way those fishes found their prey.
The main problem was that the cork had finally popped out and blinked out of existence, leaving behind the previously sealed hole. And the water started streaming inside the hole, faster and faster, until it formed a raging whirlpool.
Her control over the water around her started to tremble and slip, the force that the water was under too strong for her to control, for now.
The fishes instantly zeroed on her once her control broken, starting to swim towards her.
Not that she didn't have trouble in remaining away from the sucking force of the whirlpool, after all.
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"Sure" I say with a shrug as I stand up and start following her to the woods. "So I guess you are aware that the world didn't end".
"Yeah. Kinda obvious." Grandmother shrugged, before pointing at a cluster of mushrooms on the ground near the base of a tree.
"And I know that you all have done a good work. Congratulations."
A moment of silence, before she started to walk once again, after Donavin had taken all the mushrooms. "Of course you know that the reward for a work well done is more work, right?" Her question had something of a rethoric lilt to it.
