The Legendary Monster Layer!

“I know it’s not much,” Ari said, “but it’ll take some time to get everything we need.”

“What are they?”

“Sleeping bags?”

Lori nudged the bundle, confused. “But why?”

“Because it’s more comfortable than sleeping out in the open.”

“I sleep in the trees,” Lori corrected.

“Then more comfortable than sleeping on branches,” Ari said dryly. “I’m trying to catch you guys up to modern standards.”

“I see no reason to adopting … your people’s ways.”

Your people’s ways. Well, Ari wasn’t the only one aware of the difference in culture. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Ari said. “But I’m thinking of moving here, so we need some semblance of civilization.”

“You are?” Claire asked, perking up. “Really?”

“I think I wanted to either way, but some … recent developments means I probably have to.” Ari shook her head. “You should see Molehill right now. It’s crawling in adventurers. Apparently, the teleport obelisk has a queue.” Ari couldn’t imagine the amount of mana that thing was burning. They’d probably needed to call in mages from other cities to keep it fueled. Molehill’s government had to be making a killing.

Which was good. They’d need the money for expansions. The Guild would subsidize Molehill—they wanted the adventurers properly housed and funded as much as the city—but even so, it wasn’t cheap to turn a normal adventuring town into one ready to host the hordes that came with a dungeon’s opening.

“Um,” Claire said. “Teleport obelisk?”

Ari paused. Right—her friends had shown some understanding about society, but far from comprehensive. [Transform] helped them be not totally clueless to the world around them, but they still had a lot to learn.

“A structure that helps adventurers move around the world. It’s expensive, though.” Which was the crazy part. If this many people were coming in through the obelisk, how many would be arriving the normal way? On foot, in wagons, and such? She shook her head to clear it. “The point is, things’re gonna get crazy over the next few weeks. Guild’s gonna be crammed full, so I figured, why not move out with you guys? It sounds like fun.”

Ari didn’t mention how, besides just their company, she had less chaste motivations behind wanting to wake up and go to sleep at their burgeoning underground base.

“That’s amazing,” Claire said brightly. She stepped forward and wrapped Ari in a hug. With all the armor, it was a bit uncomfortable, but Ari smiled at the sentiment, returning the affectionate gesture. “The whole squad, together,” Claire said.

“Moving out’s going to be an ordeal, though,” Ari said. “I was hoping I could get your guys’ help? I don’t think it’s smart to have you come into town, but I can lug out my stuff to the outskirts, and you can help take it back to base.”

Lori shrugged, as if any aid Ari needed was implied, and Silvana echoed the sentiment verbally: “Sure. Whenever’s good.”

Despite Silvana’s constant physical labor, she seemed not much worse for wear. Breaking up rocks all day had been less tiring for her than … well, the forms of physical activity they’d done yesterday, in the dungeon.

“But we’re getting side-tracked,” Ari said. “The stuff I brought.”

Ari’s pack had been well and crammed, today. Her most recent market expeditions had been the largest of any so far, facilitated by their lucrative gains in the dungeon.

It had been, honestly, a bit tragic watching so much copper and silver vanish. To essentials, sure, but still. So much money!

It was a bit amazing how much adventurers made, even if most of it went straight back to supplies. Because she’d made in a day what her parents might make in a month. Which was definitely due to a four-person effort going entirely to Ari, rather than split, and also because most low-levels weren’t nearly lucky enough to be the first ones into a nascent dungeon. But still—a month’s worth of her parents’ wages, in one day. Crazy.

Laid out on the floor, unpacked and next to the rolled-up sleeping bags, was a motley of day-to-day materials. Soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, other personal items. And razors. Though, only Lori seemed to have body hair, with Silvy and Claire being apparently naturally clean-shaven across their entire body. Maybe because of their origin race? Lori had been a leopard, but Claire and Silvy had been insects. Made sense, she guessed, Lori would have hair and they didn’t?

And she didn’t care if Lori shaved one way or another, but Ari would provide her the necessary tools if she felt inclined. Honestly, knowing her Menagerie member’s gaps of knowledge in random places, Ari might have to explain the concept. And with her understanding of Lori … Ari suspected she’d think the idea stupid.

Besides the personal items, Ari had lugged along some practical tools for Silvana. Though, that seemed unnecessary, now. Silvana had mentioned she had a skill called [Improvise], and apparently, it worked even better than Ari had hoped. She’d fashioned a primitive pickaxe with little effort. The hammer, axe, and other basic tools Ari had purchased had likely been pointless. Silvana could create her own.

Though, the ones Ari had bought were of better make, at least, crafted through modern techniques and more durable than what Silvana could improvise, even accounting for her skill.

Silvana hefted one up and looked at it appreciatively. “It’ll speed things up,” she said with a nod, giving it a light swing to test the weight. “Thanks.”

Not a wholly wasted effort, which Ari was thankful for, because lugging that backpack all the way to base had left her with a crick in her neck. She didn’t have supernatural strength like some of her Menagerie.

“I’m going to try to get us fitted with a whole room worth of stuff,” Ari said. “Problem is, that’s gonna draw eyes.” What excuse could Ari give for lugging away a bunch of furniture into the forest? Most people wouldn’t care what she was doing, enough even to pay attention, but it only took one snoop. And any town, small as they got, had one of those. Molehill? More than one. She’d be spotted sooner or later, especially doing something so odd.

Then again, maybe she just had to shrug her shoulders and tell them to mind their own business.

“I thought I’d have more time,” Ari said, looking around at the giant—okay, not giant, but big for the time it’d taken to clear—room that Silvana had carved out. “Looks like we’ll be ready to move in by, sheesh …”

“Tomorrow?” Silvana suggested. “Tonight, even. Still plenty to polish, but the main work’s done. It’s a place to sleep, away from the elements.” She shrugged. “And I’ll keep expanding while you guys are gone for the day, so you’re not in my way.”

“Then tonight,” Ari agreed. “I don’t know when I’ll have to be out, since it depends how rude the Guild is about my room, but I should get going sooner than later. I would figure they’d let me have at least a few days before they’re shooing me out … but no guarantees.”

It wouldn’t be that tragic of a result, either way. Even if living would be rough for the first little while, getting to sleep—and wake up—with her Menagerie would more than make up for the inconvenience.

Honestly, we need to get a real bed out here, pronto. The first goal.  

For, y’know … quality of sleep. Nothing inappropriate.

Ari cleared her throat. Last thirty minutes without wanting to jump them, why don’t you? Then again, hard to stay focused when Silvana was naked. Could Ari really be blamed? Sure, Silvy wasn’t wearing clothes for practical reasons, but that didn’t mean Ari’s eyes weren’t drawn to her body. She wasn’t alone, either. She’d seen Lori and Claire stealing glances. Amusingly, to Silvy’s total obliviousness.

“But before evening, and move-out time,” Ari said. “How we’re handling today—let’s talk about that.”