Cost of Comfort

Ten hours.

Bane's longest stint in the dungeon so far, and it was a clear success.

Enemies Defeated:

Goblin Soldier – 48

Goblin Archer – 17

Rewards:

65 XS-Energy Crystals

+2515 XP

After completing the urgent quest he had received, Bane prowled the second floor, hunting down every goblin he could find. Each encounter ended in a quick kill, but the main issue was the sheer scarcity of goblins. It took a while to locate each one, which significantly hindered his progress. Frustrated, he searched for a solution.

He attempted to find the boss's room, hoping to defeat it and descend to harder floors, but the room proved impossible to locate. Deciding to call it a day, Bane used Fast Travel to return to the first-floor entrance. As he ascended the stairs, he opened his status screen and allocated his unused skill points.

[Bane of the Slums]: LV 10 (630/1350)

[Titles]: Slimey Slayer LV 1 (72/100), Goblin Dispatcher LV 1 (79/100)

[Strength]: LV 5

[Dexterity]: LV 2

[Mind]: LV 1

[Agility]: LV 5

[Fortitude]: LV 1

[Magic]: LV 1

[Skills]: Appraisal LV 1, Threat Analysis LV 1, Danger Sense LV 1, Passive Healing LV 1, Magnetize LV 1, Night Vision, Feared Hunt

Bane's strategy was to invest all his points into Strength and Agility until something else became a priority. He hoped to one day discover magic, though it was quite rare. While most commonly found in elves, magic was far from a common trait for humans to acquire.

Putting points into Mind, which increases the amount of magic one can cast, and Magic, which enhances the power of spells, seemed useless to him. Similarly, Fortitude felt unnecessary. Bane had only been bested once in combat—by Luna—and aside from that, Fortitude offered little value. He briefly considered investing more in Dexterity, as it would improve his hand-to-hand combat and sword techniques. However, in his mind, Agility and Strength took precedence.

"Bane! You were in there for so long!" Winter exclaimed, her voice tinged with nervousness as Bane approached her at the Guild Hall.

"I know. I really got into a groove and worked hard," Bane replied. However, the twelve crystals he placed on the counter didn't fully reflect his efforts. He had left the rest on the dungeon floor, unable to carry them all.

He wished the system would provide a solution for this limitation, but so far, nothing had been implemented.

"I see. Just be careful," Winter said, pursing her lips as she scooped the crystals off the counter and into a bucket. After examining them, she handed Bane a thousand Shill and some change.

"Here you are. I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a slight bow. With that, Bane excused himself and, once outside, deposited the money into his account.

Meanwhile, Eir was in the slums, meeting with the same group that had cleared the debris from the house.

The five slum dwellers huddled in a circle, whispering among themselves, before their leader stepped forward to address the goddess.

"Ten thousand Shill. Each of us gets a thousand for labor, and the materials you've described will cost five thousand. Does that sound fair?"

Eir had explained the repairs needed: the front door, parts of the ceiling, and the chimney—all things Bane had requested. She wanted to complain about the cost but knew labor this cheap was nearly impossible to find.

"You have a deal. How long will it take?" she asked.

The leader responded confidently, "Just one day. We'll come in the morning when you have the money, and we'll finish everything by nightfall." Their efficiency seemed almost too good to be true, but the leader spoke calmly and maintained eye contact—a sign Eir recognized as both good and bad.

As a goddess, Eir knew that those who lie often either deliberately maintain eye contact or avoid it out of guilt. Despite this, she decided to trust the group.

"I see. I'll return when we've gathered the money," she said, giving a light bow before leaving.

As she walked back to the faction building, Eir felt unusually cheerful. It's amazing how being clean can change your attitude, she thought. That morning, she had visited the bathhouse Bane had recommended, and now she felt like a completely different person.

It was only midday, and Bane wouldn't be home for a while. As she walked, she pondered what to do next. An idea struck her, and she walked past the faction building, leaving the slums in search of a carpenter.

"A bed?" the burly carpenter asked, looking up from the piece of wood he was working on. His gaze met Eir's as she inquired about the cost.

"Yes, a bed. Not a big one, just a simple bed," she clarified. "Actually, the cheapest one you can make."

"Well, the wood alone would cost a few thousand Shill. With labor, you're looking at upwards of ten thousand or more," the carpenter explained.

Eir's eyes widened at the price. She leaned in, lowering her head slightly, and attempted to use her charm. "Is that the lowest you can go?"

The man curtly nodded. "Yes, actually, it'll be more like twenty thousand. Now get out of my sight, you scheming woman."

Eir's face went blank, her mouth hanging open in shock. She stood up and turned away, muttering to herself, Wow, that man certainly has a backbone. I thought for sure that would've worked.

She continued her search, visiting several carpenters throughout the city, but the answer was always the same: ten thousand Shill or more. As a struggling faction, they simply couldn't afford such an expense. Defeated, Eir walked back home, her head hanging low.

The sun was setting, casting golden rays over Gren and stretching long shadows across the landscape. Eir had returned home earlier and was now patiently awaiting Bane's return.

I want to see his status… The thought nagged at her as she waited. Until now, Bane had only told her about his status, but she wanted to see it for herself.

I'm sure Bane won't mind, she thought, sitting in her usual chair with a smile. Bane had been returning later each day, and today marked his longest stint in the dungeon—nearly ten hours. Just as Eir was beginning to wonder where he was, she heard his voice call out.

"I'm home!" Bane announced, walking through the still doorless entryway. He entered the back room to find Eir visibly happy, her usual stoic demeanor replaced by a cheerful expression. The firelight reflected off her pale skin as she sat smiling in her chair.

"You seem in a good mood. How did today go?" Bane asked.

"It was good! I went—" Eir quickly recounted her trip to the Limpar Bathhouses and her meeting with the slum workers she planned to hire for the house repairs. She conveniently omitted her encounters with the carpenters and the fact that the repair costs had more than doubled.

Bane then shared his experiences in the dungeon, detailing his new skills and progress. A brief silence fell over the conversation, which Eir quickly broke.

"Can I see your status?" she asked bluntly.

Bane was taken aback but had no reason to refuse. "Of course, you can. Anytime."

"Okay, thank you," she said, smiling as she stood and walked over to him. "Do you remember how?"

"Yes," Bane replied.

The two sat on the floor of the faction house and slowly leaned toward each other. To an outsider, it might have looked like they were about to kiss, but as soon as their foreheads touched, Bane was transported to a field of white.

Just like that first day, he thought, feeling a wave of nostalgia. Moments later, Eir appeared before him.

"I won't keep us long. I don't want you getting cold… Not that I care! I just don't want to be cold either," she said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Bane held back a laugh at her antics as Eir raised her hand in an elegant motion. Before them, words, symbols, and numbers materialized—Bane's status.

"Brilliant. Seeing it in writing is so much more…" she murmured, her mouth slightly agape as she studied his abilities.

She read it carefully, committing every detail to memory. A sense of pride swelled within her—not for the system she had unknowingly given him, but for Bane himself. He was a delicate yet strong individual, and she couldn't have asked for a better first recruit.

"Thank you for letting me see," she said softly.

Bane was pulled out of the white expanse and returned to his body in the faction house. Eir had encased them in a protective layer of ice, just as before. When they both returned, the ice melted away, and they moved in front of the fire to warm up together. 

"So, what do you want to get to eat tonight?" Eir asked, feeling her stomach starting to eat away at itself.

"You've had all the good places so far, do you want to go out together again?" Bane asked, causing Eir's face to light up.

"Yes I do!" And so the two of them warmed up for a moment longer and went to eat.