Cinnamon Bun

Chapter Ninety-One - Core Values

Chapter Ninety-One - Core Values

Chapter Ninety-One - Core Values

I sighed and lowered my hand.

Cleaning magic wasnt cutting it. Amaryllis lightning wasnt doing anything, and ever Awens attempt to plant a bolt into the root did nothing more than make us duck as the shot went wild and flew over our heads.

Then the thing I was afraid would happen happened.

Quest Update!

You have found the Evil Root. You are too weak to Destroy the Evil Root. Break the Core and let the Root Starve.

I eyed the prompt, bit my lip, then sighed. The quest changed, I said.

Amaryllis looked at me. For the better?

I shook my head.

Lets get out of this room if were going to talk. Too much mana in your system isnt good for your health.

Alright, I said before the three of us slipped out of the dungeons core room. My mana was still really, really high, so I fired off a burst of cleaning magic to lower it a bit. I could feel my new Rank A cleaning magics aura-like ability flick on like a sort of switch. It probably took some mana to maintain, but it was so little that it was almost unnoticeable.

I shook my head and refocused. I was tired. The darkened skies visible in the portal leading outside said that we were deep into the night already. Bedtime had passed a bit ago and the post-victory adrenaline rush had passed.

My quest updated, I said. It wants us to starve the root out.

Amaryllis eyed me. How? she asked.

I had the impression she already knew. Break the core, I said.

Awen gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth and her head shaking. Awa, we, we cant do that.

Amaryllis reply was calmer, but no less negative. Shes right. Breaking a core is... its not something you do, Broccoli.

I shrugged. Thats what the quests asking, I said.

Amaryllis shifted, crossed her arms, then uncrossed them. I didnt like how uncomfortable my usually fiery friend looked. I know that where youre from there probably arent any quests. And no dungeons, for that matter, so perhaps youre missing out on the cultural context here. But to destroy a dungeons core, thats sacrilege. Nearly every religion across every country has the destruction of a core as one of the great marks of great cruelty. All of the greatest villains in the stories are core breakers. You cant just... she waved her wings around, trying to express something that her words couldnt.

Awa, what do you mean about there not being dungeons where Broccoli is from? Awen asked.

Amaryllis winced.

She was the sort that wanted that kind of knowledge to stay hidden. Fortunately, I didnt mind if my friends knew more about me. Im a riftwalker, I said to Awen.

Awens eyes widened and her breath caught. Awa, really?

Yup! Ive only been here, on Dirt, for a bit less than a month? I tried to count back the days. Two weeks? Not quite.

And, and youre already so strong, Awen said. You really are incredible.

Ah, I said before waving the comment off. Stop that, youll make me blush. And Im not incredible, Im just Broccoli.

I, yes, of course, Awen said.

Amaryllis started walking back and forth. I... I dont know what to think here, she said.

Scoffing, I waved it off. Thats easy. If I have to make the choice between my friends and a quest, then Ill always pick my friends.

Quest Update!

You have found the Evil Root. You are too weak to Destroy the Evil Root. Break the Core and let the Root Starve.

I brought my head back as Miss Menu showed up right in my face. Uh, I said before re-reading the quest. It hadnt changed at all. The quest updated without changing.

A sort of reminder? Amaryllis wondered.

I waved off the prompt. Doesnt matter. Breaking the core would upset you, so Im not gonna do it. I think the world can find someone else, right?

Quest Update!

You have found the Evil Root. It is a source of great and terrible Evil! You are too weak to Destroy the Evil Root. Break the Core and let the Root Starve. Evil and Terrible things will happen in Evil and Terrible ways if the root remains active!

I read the new prompt. Uh. Now the quest is really insistent that we break the core.

I didnt like the conflicting expressions on Amaryllis face. She wasnt exactly a straight-laced kind of birdgirl, but she did seem really excited, in her own way, about the quest. Not completing it must have bugged her.

Wh-what do you think, Broccoli? Awen asked.

I think that the menu giving me the quest really doesnt get why I cant break the root.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root or all life on Dirt is forfeit.

I squinted at the menu. I dont want to say I dont believe you, Miss Menu, but I have the impression youre exaggerating a little.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root or a statistically significant proportion of all life on Dirt is forfeit.

I crossed my arms. Well, I guess I could do that, but only if you, uh, offer some concessions. I was a teensy bit miffed last time when I didnt even get a reward for the quest.

Have you finally lost your mind? Amaryllis asked. Or was it the over exposure to mana that finally drove you off the edge?

Im talking to the quest box... menu thing.

Amaryllis and Awen looked at each other. Okay, Amaryllis said.

I crossed my arms harder. Its not being terribly helpful.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root of Evil and obtain one (1x) box of varied loot.

Nu-huh, I said. Im not into surprise mechanics like that. The menu shook and shivered in the air. I think it might have been feeling the menu equivalent of frustration. You know, if my friends had the quest too, Im pretty sure this wouldnt be a problem to begin with, I said.

The quest prompt poofed away.

Huh. I think I angered Miss Menu, I said.

You angered the world, Amaryllis said. And here I thought you were more likely to convince it to be your best friend.

I was getting to that, I said. Ive never been a planets friend before, but Im willing to try. Its just, well, Miss Menu was asking a lot without giving anything. Thats not very friendly.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root of Evil.

Reward: Continued life on Dirt.

I was considering how to reply to that when both Awen and Amaryllis gasped.

I, I got a quest, Amaryllis said. She reached out to gently touch something that I couldnt see.

Ah, whats it say? I asked.

She swallowed. Its asking that I destroy the root of evil. And it rewards me with the right to live on Dirt?

Well, thats just rude all around, I said. Honestly, Miss Menu, you should spend some time with Mister Menu. Hes nice. The Menu shook. Okay, okay. I was willing to break the root thing anyway, I just didnt want to do it without my friends, you know?

The menu reappeared, the same text as before on it.

It menud smugly at me.

Are you okay with us blowing up the dungeon now? I asked. I... dont know what itll do to the area, but I guess if the world wants it, it can handle the problems itll cause.

Amaryllis hummed. A dungeon of this size? Itll create a ripple in the local mana structures. The ley lines might shift. Its probably going to slow down the growth of any other dungeon in the area.

Ah, I said. Maybe thats why the world wants us to break the core then? Itll hurt the roots that are spreading around elsewhere.

Thats... actually possible, Amaryllis said.

I shrugged. Whelp, lets blow up the dungeon.

Youre making me nervous when you say it so casually, Amaryllis said.

I rubbed at the back of my head where my helmet squished my hair a bit. Ah, well, been there, done that. We might have to run all the way out of the dungeon while it explodes around us. That is, if we dont make it back through that portal to the outside in time.

The harpy pinched the bridge of her nose. Damnit Broccoli. Im not in the mood to run through this entire dungeon in reverse.

While its exploding, I added.

Awa, exploding?

Um. More like... breaking apart? On a sort of dimensional level, I guess.

That's worse, you moron!

We spent a few minutes making sure we had all of our stuff packed up and ready to go, then I pointed to the portal leading to the outside with one hand while giving Amaryllis my backpack (and Orange). You guys stand there and jump out as soon as... actually, you could just leave now. Theres nothing stopping you.

And leave you in here? Amaryllis asked.

Awen shook her head. Awa, Ill stay with you Broccoli, until the end.

I wasnt sure what I felt, but the weird emotion coalesced into a desire to give out hugs, so I did just that, grabbing my two friends and squishing them close. I love you guys, I said.

Awaaaa.

Ill be right back! I said before skipping back. Awen was busy blushing, the poor thing, and Amaryllis fussed with her wing feathers. They both stood by the portal leading out, waiting for me to return.

I popped into the dungeons core room, took a moment to look around at the strange crystalline walls torn apart by encroaching roots, then I waited for my heart to stop beating so hard.

This was it. The end of another little adventure. Or rather, the end of a side quest to our adventure. There was still plenty more to go. It was a little sad that no other groups of friends would get to have fun in this dungeon like we did. It was the end of a tiny wonder.

I raised a hand, aimed down my index as if holding an invisible pistol, then fired off a tiny ball of cleaning magic.

The ball struck the core, splattered against it, and then magic spread across the surface of the core like water running over smooth stone.

The first crack I noticed was hair-thin and only ran for a few centimeters before stopping. Then a second appeared next to it, and a third.

I spun on my heel and ran out. Hurry! I said as I used Jump to shoot past my friends. My hands shot out behind me, catching both of them and yanking them through the portal.

Just as with the portal leading to the dungeons core, this one was as easy to cross as an opened doorway, but at the speed I was going, and with the weight of the girls behind me, it was easy to trip and stumble as we crossed.

We flopped onto the sand-covered glass of the valley with three echoed squeaks.

I waited for the explosion.

And waited.

And then I waited some more.

Get up, idiot, you look the fool cowering on the ground like that, Amaryllis said.

I poked my head up and looked over to the still-intact entrance to the dungeon. Huh, I was expecting a--

A burst of mana so strong it lifted me off the ground and threw me a half dozen meters away, shot out of the dungeon.

I crashed into the ground some ways away and rolled a bit before coming to rest on my back. That. I was expecting that.

What what? Moon Moon asked. What happened?

The dungeon exploded, I said.

That makes sense, Moon Moon said. He got up, brushed off his shorts, then stared at the hole torn into the valley wall where the dungeon had been.

Uh, I said as I climbed to my feet. Okay. I didnt have to search for long to find my other friends. Amaryllis was getting up, looking extra grumpy, and Awen was trying to untangle herself from her backpack. Well, that was something, I said.

***