I Have a Task Log

They walked on for a good while.

Staring at the unchanging corridor ahead, Colin couldn’t help but ask, "How much farther to the entrance of the next level?"

"Who knows?" Dorn replied nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on the map in his hands.

Colin sighed.

He and Dorn now walked at the head of the party, with the three others following behind, making idle conversation. The mood had lightened considerably; it was no longer as tense as when they first entered.

The underground air was exceptionally foul, and staying down here for too long made one’s head grow fuzzy.

They had been exploring the first level for hours now, wandering through a maze of similar-looking corridors, forks in the path, and small rooms built by the Dwarves. They’d even stopped for lunch along the way.

So far, the monsters they’d encountered were mostly giant rats, spiders, or other typical subterranean creatures—the kind of thing you might also run into in the sewers.

The only intelligent beings they’d met were goblins that looked like they hadn’t seen the Surface in a very long time.

Their equipment was even more pitiful than that of their Surface-dwelling counterparts. Most were armed with nothing more than bricks, dressed in rags, and couldn’t even speak coherently.

The tentacled monster they’d run into earlier was one of the stronger creatures they’d faced.

At least, according to Dorn, it was about as strong as a Winter Wolf, though Colin hadn’t found it to be that tough.

Perhaps the Winter Wolf they had fought before had left too strong an impression on him. Or perhaps it was because both he and Dorn could teleport to evade the tentacled monster’s ambushes, effectively countering its main advantage.

The monster density was quite high, and the group spent a great deal of time fighting and then collecting their loot. As a result, they hadn’t covered much ground. Their progress was much slower than it would have been on the Surface.

Colin sighed inwardly.

’In truth, when they tallied it all up, the haul wasn’t that great. This was just the first level, after all. Any real treasures would have been snatched up long ago.’

But no one in their small party felt they should leave any loot behind. In Ale’s words, "You build a fortune one grain of sand at a time."

Just then, Colin spotted a wooden door on the side of the corridor ahead.

Dorn stopped and gestured for the others to halt. Once they did, he crept forward silently, pushed the wooden door open a crack, and peered inside.

After a moment, he spoke to the others behind him. "Come on. It’s empty."

As he walked up, a curious Colin pushed the wooden door fully open.

Behind the door was what looked like a dining hall. It contained a long table and a large number of chairs. On the table sat a few plates, thick with dust, all of which were made from subterranean fungi.

There was nothing else of note in the room.

Dorn had already started moving on, so Colin quickly caught up.

He asked, "The other parts of the Undercity are different from this, right?"

"Of course," Dorn replied. "As I recall, you start seeing underground rivers on the third level. And on the fourth or fifth, there’s even a forest. Can you imagine that? A forest in a place like this! Hah!"

Colin asked, "I remember you said the environment here changes over time. How does that work, exactly? Do rooms or monsters just appear out of thin air?"

"Not quite. I know some human Mages have Evil Skills that can create living beings, but the cost is immense. How can I put it... Take that room we were just in, for example. A month from now, or maybe even a year, it might just show up in a completely different location.

"Then, monsters from other parts of the Underworld might move in. If a monster stays there long enough, it might get transported along with the room to a new spot. Of course, that’s all just speculation on our part."

"So, can a room from the first level end up on the second or third?"

"The elevation usually doesn’t change, but rooms might shift between levels that have a similar style. We don’t know the specifics. After all, the layout of this place has little to do with a real Dwarf fortress anymore."

With that, Dorn heaved a deep sigh.

He said, "Can we talk about something a little more lighthearted? You’re making this sound like some damned academic study. I, for one, am more curious about which tavern in Thousand Masts City has decent beer, or if it’s all just terrible, watered-down swill!"

"So, do you know what a creature inside a room feels when it moves?" Colin pressed on.

Dorn stopped in his tracks and turned to look back at him, saying nothing.

"Alright, I guess you don’t know." Colin patted the Dwarf’s shoulder. "Weren’t you the one who said talking helps us relax?"

"Well, I don’t feel relaxed talking about *this*. I’m more interested in the pleasantly round, barrel-like waists of female Dwarves," Dorn grumbled, turning to resume leading the way.

Colin continued, "We’ve seen a lot of rooms that look like they were inhabited by the Shadow Anvil Clan Dwarves. But the records I read said they got into trouble because they stayed behind in the Underworld during the Great Migration. So why are their living quarters here?"

"Right, right. All Dwarves live in the exact same spot from the day they’re born until the day they die. Never move an inch for three hundred years," Dorn replied sarcastically.

’So something caused the Shadow Anvil Clan Dwarves to have a "Great Migration" in reverse?’

’Maybe a new vein of ore was discovered underground or something,’ Colin mused. ’That wouldn’t be surprising.’

While he was lost in thought, Dorn stopped, pulled out a pocket watch that hung from his chest for a glance, and said over his shoulder, "I remember a suitable room up ahead. Let’s go there and rest for a bit."

"Why? I feel like we can keep going," Kase asked from the back.

"Absolutely not. It’s dinnertime," Dorn stressed. "In the Underworld, it’s crucial to maintain a regular schedule for eating and sleeping. Don’t tell me you want to go mad from chronic sleep deprivation."

"Your call, shorty," Kase shrugged.

"Thanks for your understanding, kiddo," Dorn shot back.

’Dorn’s reasoning is quite sound,’ Colin thought. ’Though I doubt they have a concept of hormonal imbalances here.’

The group promptly turned and headed back the way they came.

They passed the door to the dining hall they’d seen earlier, and a short distance later, came to another wooden door.

Dorn pushed the door open and went inside, with Colin following his companions into the room.

This was another room they had checked earlier, so they knew it was safe.

The room was square. Alcoves large enough for a Dwarf to lie down in had been carved into three of the walls. From the scorch marks of old campfires on the floor, it was clear that many other parties had rested here before.

"Alright, let’s make camp."

Colin took off his Helmet, twisted his neck, and lifted the Dimension Bag from Kase’s back.