BXBX NOVEL Chapter 190 - 189
While Cain is very proud of his underground fortress, it's lacking two essential things. Lighting and details. Fortunately, he has a plan for both issues.
The first up is lights. Torches are smelly and smoky, unsuitable for such a large complex, instead he plans to go the same way as Muzz, with glowing roof moss. It's growing in the underside of many structures in the abandoned city, so Cain is just going to go gather some and strategically place it through the underground levels of the castle, then hope it grows as well as it does in the city.
"Oath Breaker, I'll need you to bring me into Muzz so I can gather some materials." Cain directs, releasing one from his Merger. The Legendary Demon simply sets a hand on his shoulder and in a flash they're in the city, the portal must have been in range of where he was standing.
There's a large statue of the Spider Goddess near the entry with moss growing underneath its belly. For some reason this stuff only grows upside down, it doesn't creep up or down the sides of anything is growing on. Peculiar stuff, but perfectly adapted to its purpose.
"Let me clean you up a bit Goddess." Cain chuckles, cleaning the moss off the bottom of the statue. It's careful work, but if he pulls slowly and evenly it comes away with roots attached, ready to be transplanted, assuming Cain can get it to stay where he puts it.
Once he's got all the moss removed, Cain takes out a cloth and dusts off the statue, leaving it looking pristine, as if it was never abandoned.
"Take me to the main room on the first underground floor of the castle. Let's see how this works before I gather more." Cain instructs, holding a large bag full of the glowing moss.
Oath Breaker picks him up this time, shifting with a couple lurching jumps until they find themselves in a pitch black cavern. Cain activates Cloud Dancing and steps up towards the roof, pulling the large mat of moss from the bag.
Holding it roughly flat, Cain lifts the moss to the roof, looking at the light it gives off. The room is pleasantly lit with a pale blue glow now, so Cain is going to get a few knives and daggers from his inventory to pin it to the roof until it can take root, but finds it is already stuck.
"Looks like your moss lies this place, Spider Goddess." Cain laughs, adding more pieces and smoothing the mat out to make a two meter patch, like a living chandelier. Once fully placed, it starts visibly expanding, stretching out to expand across the roof until the whole surface is covered and the area is lit just as well as the underground city.
"Well, that was unexpected. But if the moss likes it here, I'll gather more for the other floors." Cain looks around the room impressed.
On closer inspection, the walls are smooth, well cut but completely plain. The place is trait is really quite basic and boring.
[Carlos, want to go talk to your new girlfriend and her Sculptors Guild, see if they want a huge commission to carve decorations on the inside of a castle? I made this huge underground complex, but it's all smooth walls and no details.]
[She says they're be overjoyed. Is there anywhere for them to stay? They're a bit broke and can't afford a hotel. Wait, where did you build that thing anyhow?]
[In the middle of the desert. I knew a good spot. If they're fine with it, I'll come get them in a little while, once I link this castle to the other Guild Houses.]
The Guild House portals are an available function of the Guild Castle, so he can link the ones they already have active to the new one. It adds a destination to the existing ones, a hidden option when you walk through. If you just walk through you'll reach the default primary location, but if you focus on the castle you'll end up there.
The system calls it a secure location, as only those who know can access it, but it doesn't actually restrict who can pass through if they know the trick. So, Cain picks a secure room in the keep for the portal room, one that can be easily locked with a sturdy door. They can activate traps and such on it later.
[They say they can be ready whenever you are. They're not exactly in high demand.] Carlos sends in Guild chat and Cain can almost hear the laughter from his text. Symbia is one of the better earning members as Cain understood it, and she's in a very niche industry.
Hopefully he's not making a mistake picking them to carve the decorations. If they're not great he can politely pay them out and send them home after they do a portion of the first floor. He could also start them with the main room where he planted the moss. Nobody expects much of a common area.
Cain gets the portal up and running, then sends the official message.
[Fort Darklight is now accessible. Just think of going to the Castle when you walk through a Guild House portal and you should end up here.]
Seconds later Mythryll and Elmira arrive with a second Pixie, a Warlock named Cindy Lou and two Spirit Folk children.
"We were bringing the recruits to Char, but thought we'd stop here first. Let's see the place." Mythryll laughs, holding the kids hands.
What exactly were their recruiting criteria? Are they just building a daycare so Char can have infinite cuddles? But they're a Warlock, a Paladin and a Druid, so maybe they're actually choosing them to build dungeon teams? Char said she's taking them through the Beginner Dungeons in groups to get them trained up properly.
These ones are all under level 10 too, so they'll be training them from the very start. Maybe they wanted to get members who weren't as jaded and traumatized? Elmira still hides all the time. In fact, she already made herself comfortable in his shirt pocket.
"This isn't bad. Not as good as the leather coat though." The Pixie announces from the Dark Elven Suit shirt Cain is wearing, having changed out of his odd looking combat gear when he got up this morning.
Personally he thought the suit looked very good on him, but the secure pocket of the leather coat is more important than fashion to the Pixie.
Cain has an Incubus Leather Jacket that equips as a cloak, mostly fashion and not armored like the old one, so he equips it, making the Pixie squeal in glee. He's sure it looks strange, but at least she's happy.
"You have to try this Cindy. Pocket Pixie is the life." Elmira declares and the other Pixie laughs.
"Thanks, but I'm claustrophobic, I don't think I could just hang out in a pocket like that." The Warlock shakes her head, short silver hair bouncing. She's still in beginner clothes though, and so are the other two which seems odd to Cain.
"Is Char that particular about training gear, or have you just not had time to equip them?"
"No time yet. There should be blue quality gear in the Guild Bank that Char had Dimnys make for the new members to train in."
Warlock is easy, spell power and mana regeneration. The Druid gets extra healing and damage reduction, better for her if she needs or wants to use bear form for safety.
"Little Paladin, what do you want, healing on hit or extra damage?" Cain asks the Spirit Folk boy.
"Damage I think. I can heal a bit on hit anyway and I have a heal spell, so extra damage seems safer."
Wise kids. Though, they might not have been kids before arriving. The system seems to match random creation bodies to personality not real age, in Cain's opinion.
He finds a shield with extra damage reduction and a solid set of plate armor before searching for a blue quality weapon with extra damage. He finds that Dimnys has made a Kopesh with a bleed effect on it that should stack up well.
Equipped by the Spirit Folk Paladin, the armor looks like painted wood with a leaf cape, but Cain knows the stats will be the same as any other appearance.
"How is that? Everyone comfortable?" Cain asks as they marvel at the new gear.
"Why do I have all this damage reduction? My Bear form is already tough." The Druid asks.
"That's why, enhance your strengths. A Healer that isn't squishy makes things easier on the whole group. As I recall from Kone, who started out as a Druid, you can still heal while in bear form, it's just that the bear spec skills path limits your healing bonuses. So you can do both damage and healing if you want, like the Paladin.
Char joins them along with Dimnys, the werewolf Belle and Misaki the Elven Fire Mage.
It's quite the assortment, Misaki has dyed her hair bright red and chosen gold Robes as her casual wear, while Belle has clearly been shopping in the Demon Dungeon, with matching black leather pants and jacket.
The werewolf runs up and gives him a big hug, avoiding squashing Elmira who climbs into her hair and stands on her shoulder.
"Let's get the tour! Are there dungeons near here? What are they like? " The bubbly werewolf asks excitedly, contrasting with her more serious, biker chick fashion.