TravelingDreamer
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B4–Chapter 5: Beef Supply
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 21:59:59 +0000 UTCI spent the next day trying to fix the Clean spell without success. When I built it, I essentially designed it to eliminate anything that wasn’t part of the person or item it was cast on. Apparently, the Clean spell didn’t consider dead skin tissues and tooth fillings part of the person or dye part of the clothes. I checked the Purify spell and saw it would have the same issue. The spell removed any organism that wasn’t a part of the person or item it was cast on, but the problem was that some viruses were beneficial for the immune system and bacteria for gut health. It looked like it would remove everything. After tinkering with those two spells for hours, I still had no solution.
I cast those two spells again and again, trying to figure out the construction of the working spell, but that was also a dead end. Both had so many concept aspects, all intertwined, that it was impossible to decipher them. In the evening, I gave up and admitted defeat.
Oh, well. Back to the drawing board.
During dinner, I glanced at Al and Mahya and asked, “Have you read the world’s information yet?” I could see the confusion in their expressions and knew the answer.
Both of them shook their heads, eyes still focused on their plates.
“You should,” I urged, leaning forward slightly. “Especially the part about the flying snakes—”
Before I could finish, Rue’s ears perked up. “Rue like snakes!” he barked excitedly, his tail thumping against the floor.
“I know, buddy,” I replied with a chuckle, glancing at him fondly. “But these are venomous and cause paralysis. You need to be careful.”
Rue puffed up his chest with pride. “Rue careful! Rue smart.”
“I know, buddy. I know.” I smiled, patting his head before turning my attention back to Al and Mahya. “As I was saying before I was so enthusiastically interrupted... read the world’s information.”
Mahya huffed, and I watched as their eyes lost focus.
When they finished, their eyes refocused. I turned to Al. “Do you still have the venom I gave you?”
“Yes. Of course,” he replied, meeting my gaze.
“Good,” I said, leaning back. “You need to make antivenom potions. And since Mahya doesn’t have Telekinesis and can’t buy it, we need a way for her to take the potion if she gets paralyzed. She can summon it from Storage, but she won’t be able to drink it.”
Mahya looked thoughtful, then suggested, “You can heal me, can’t you?” Her voice carried a slight edge of concern.
“Yes, but the info says the paralysis is nearly instant. If I’m paralyzed too, and I have to heal myself first, it might take too long.”
She nodded, her brow furrowed as she considered the implications.
Al drummed his fingers on the table with a faraway look in his eyes.
After a moment, Mahya’s eyes brightened. “I think I’ve got something. Let me try.” Without hesitation, she reached into her mouth and, to my surprise, pulled out a small paintball. “It worked!” she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
“Good idea,” Al said, nodding his approval.
“You are a genius!” I chimed in at the same time, laughing.
“I’ll start working on the potion tomorrow,” Al added, already shifting into planning mode.
I turned to Rue, handing him an empty paintball. “Let’s see if you can summon this directly into your mouth from your Storage.”
Rue squinted at the paintball for a second, concentrating hard. It took him three tries, but eventually, he figured it out. When he succeeded, I relaxed, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. Maybe it wasn’t entirely fair, but while I loved Al and Mahya like family, I cared more deeply for Rue. His safety always sat at the forefront of my mind.
We finished the meal silently; everyone lost in thought.
I was about to close the house in the morning when Al suddenly touched my shoulder, stopping me. “Please don’t close the house,” he said, his voice firm. “I need my laboratory to make the potion.”
I paused, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. “You can’t make it outside?”
“I can,” he replied, his tone measured, “but I prefer not to. The fumes from the venom might be detrimental.”
“Okay. You know best.”
As I stepped back and gave him space, my eyes wandered over the surrounding junkyard. I noticed more junk piles had disappeared, making the island in the middle of the yard look enormous—almost the size of a stadium now.
I turned to Mahya, curious. “How much material did you feed my house?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as I glanced at the ever-expanding pile of junk steadily disappearing.
“A lot,” she replied with a smirk. “My cores ate one pile together. Your core absorbed the rest.”
I crossed my arms, considering her words. “Hmm... I think that’s enough. What do you think?”
She tilted her head, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Don’t you want to find out the limit of your core?”
“Yeah...” I trailed off, scratching my chin thoughtfully. “But if we find some other good stuff along the way, I don’t want it to be too full.”
“Hmm, you have a point,” Mahya said thoughtfully, tapping her fingers against her chin. She looked around for a moment before nodding. “I’ll get back to the Jeep, then. What are your plans?” Her eyes met mine, curious.
“I’m going to explore the area,” I replied, scanning the surroundings as I spoke.
She nodded again, a faint smile playing on her lips as she began organizing her workspace, moving tools and equipment into place with practiced efficiency.
I turned invisible and shot upward, the wind rushing past me as I ascended. From above, the junkyard stretched out below like a long, jagged scar on the land, its borders lined with rusted heaps and forgotten machinery. It was narrow but seemed to go on forever, disappearing into the hazy horizon. Trees flanked either side, their leaves mostly a sickly yellow with patches of dull green. It didn’t look like autumn. The colors were wrong—too faded, too unhealthy. The trees seemed sick, perhaps poisoned by the proximity to the junkyard, their branches sagging under the weight of withering foliage.
The Gate we had passed through was close to the southern end of the junkyard. Northward, the junkyard sprawled for at least several kilometers, the piles of junk becoming more scattered the farther I flew. Below me, I saw twisted metal, broken-down vehicles, and scraps of who-knew-what littering the ground.
Flying along the length of the junkyard, I spotted more scraglins moving amidst the debris, their green bodies scattered across the wreckage like snakes in tall grass. Some were noticeably larger than the ones I had diced on the first day, their limbs bulging with muscle, their movements more deliberate and forceful. I activated Identify, and it confirmed what I suspected—their levels were higher than before. But besides that, they were the same scraglins: low-tier creatures scurrying through the junk.
I wasn’t interested in them, though. I was hunting for something bigger—another Behemoth. My intention was to test the true power of my new aggressive spell in action. Al’s voice echoed in my mind, reminding me of the fire’s influence. He was right—it wasn’t typical behavior for me to be this reckless, this eager to fight. But a part of me welcomed the change. I’d often felt burdened by my cautious nature, my timidness and tendency to hesitate. Now, there was something thrilling about embracing this newfound boldness. In my humble opinion, this shift was a good one.
Still, be careful. I reminded myself. Boldness could quickly turn into recklessness, and I wasn’t interested in finding out the hard way where that line was.
After flying for about three kilometers, the junkyard thinned out. I spotted a vast green field stretching out at the far edge, its vibrant grass a stark contrast to the metallic wasteland behind me. I scanned the area, and about a kilometer ahead, I saw something massive moving between the towering piles of junk.
I flew closer, my eyes narrowing as I recognized the creature. It was another Behemoth, its hulking form dotted with pieces of metal and debris embedded deep in its flesh. This one was about half the size of the beast that had attacked us on the first day, but otherwise, it was nearly identical. Its eyes, though, weren’t glowing with that eerie, menacing light. A slight difference, but one that caught my attention. This might be a smaller, weaker version, but it was still dangerous enough to make me pause.
Scraglin Brute
Level 26
Perfect!
It was rummaging through a massive pile of junk, its hulking form moving clumsily, completely unaware of my presence. The stench of rusted metal and decay clung to the air, the sound of clattering scraps filling the space. I floated closer, invisible, watching the Scraglin Brute sift through debris, its enormous hands pushing aside shattered machinery and twisted metal beams like they were twigs.
When I cast the Aggressive Clean spell, the effect was immediate—and fantastic! With a violent burst, all the junk embedded in its thick hide shot out of its body, flying in every direction like shrapnel from an explosion. Metal fragments and debris whizzed past me, forcing me to duck mid-air. A few pieces even flew skyward, twirling wildly before crashing back down. The Brute let out an ear-splitting howl that seemed to vibrate the very air around me, the sound reverberating in my skull like the tolling of a giant gong. I winced at the intensity of it.
The Brute staggered, its massive frame swaying as it waved its arms like a malfunctioning windmill. Blood sprayed from the gaping holes where the junk had been embedded, each wound now a jagged, open tear oozing thick streams of dark red. The scent of iron filled the air, mixing with the pungent odors of the junkyard. For a fleeting moment, I felt a pang of guilt watching the creature thrash, its agony clear. I even pitied the thing for a minute or two, but then shook my head, pushing the thought away. Sometimes, my mind wandered into strange territory.
Hovering above the scene, I remained invisible, merely observing the aftermath of my spell. The Brute continued to howl, its deep, guttural cries echoing through the junkyard. Its arms flailed ineffectually, blood flinging in all directions, splattering against the rusted metal heaps. It was a grotesque sight, but I couldn’t look away. After a few long, agonizing moments, the creature collapsed to its knees, its strength failing. It let out one last mournful howl before slumping forward, face-first into the dirt. The ground trembled slightly under its weight, the sound of its fall a dull thud.
It was... anticlimactic. I half expected more of a fight. But no—there it lay, unmoving, the life drained from it. My spell, though? That was AWESOME! The sheer force and precision were something else. I just needed to be careful and use it in the right circumstances.
When I came back, Mahya was still busy with the Jeep, focusing intently with a furrowed brow. Al was nowhere in sight. I knocked on the lab door and called out, “Al! You in there? Come out”
After a moment, Al joined us outside, wiping his hands on a cloth and glancing at me with mild curiosity. I gestured toward the horizon, where the junkyard met the open field. “The junkyard ends in a big green field. Want to relocate?” I asked both him and Mahya, who was still focused on her engraving work.
Al raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. “Did you check for monsters?” he asked, his voice measured. “We’re in mana 38 now, and based on the world’s information, there aren’t many clearing operations happening. We need to take that into account going forward.”
I blinked, realizing I hadn’t thought of it. “No,” I admitted, scratching the back of my neck. “I didn’t think of that. I’ll check and let you know.”
I flew back toward the field, the wind whipping past as I left the junkyard behind. The wide, open stretch of green below replaced the rusty heaps, slowly disappearing from view. The field was flat, with the grass gently swaying in the breeze, brushing against itself like it had its own rhythm. I dropped down a bit, and the fresh, earthy smell of the soil hit me, a pleasant change from the metallic stench of the junkyard.
I did a quick sweep around the edge, staying alert for any movement. But nothing—no growls, no footsteps, no sign of monsters. The place felt calm, almost too calm. Until I reached the center.
Smack in the middle of the field was something that didn’t belong—the infamous black Portal of Doom. It wasn’t like the other dungeons I’d run into, usually tucked into rocks or hidden in caves. This one just sprawled out across the ground, like a dark, shimmering lake. Its inky surface rippled, reflecting the cloudy sky like the ground had decided to open up and swallow anyone dumb enough to get too close. What threw me off wasn’t the portal itself but where it was—just sitting in the middle of the field, flat like a creepy mirror to the sky.
Returning to them, I grinned. “I’ve got good news and even better news.”
Mahya rolled her eyes at me. She was no fun.
“What is it?” Al asked, sounding curious.
“The field is clear of monsters and really nice. And I found our first dungeon in this world.”
That caught Mahya’s attention. “A dungeon?”
“Yep! Right in the middle of the field. It’s strange—it’s lying on the ground like a pool, not like a door in a cave or rock.”
“It happens,” Al said, nodding thoughtfully. “I’ve seen it before. But we have to be careful. Sometimes, entering a portal like that can make you drop unexpectedly.”
“It’s not a problem,” I reassured him. “We’ll fly in. Same formation: I’ll take you, and Rue will carry Mahya.”
“I need to finish the potions I’m working on first,” Al noted.
“Finish them, and then we’ll relocate,” Mahya added, her excitement evident. “We can run the dungeon tomorrow. I hope it’s something good. It should be, after sitting there for thirty years collecting power without anyone clearing it.”
“Thirty? Not twenty?” I asked, a bit surprised.
“Open the world information,” she instructed.
I did as she said, and she continued, “Now, open a new window like you’re going to write.”
Spring, 33 PMS—Traveler John Rue
“Cool!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in surprise. “I never thought of it.”
Mahya smiled knowingly, tightening a bolt on the Jeep as she spoke. “That’s one of the first things my parents taught me,” she said, her tone casual. “How to calculate the time skips and figure out the date in a new world.”
I leaned back, thinking aloud. “So, it’s been thirty years since the integration... I wonder what’s changed since the Traveler’s account we read.”
Al chimed in, his voice dry. “Not much, probably. Based on what he wrote, this world seems pretty stagnant.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Sad but true.”
Once Al finished his potions, I closed the house, and Mahya took out the Jeep. We tried driving to the field, but after less than a kilometer, we had to admit defeat—there was too much junk scattered around. She stored the Jeep, Al climbed onto my back, and Mahya settled on Rue. He was so big she had to jump up, sitting on him like a horse. I kept my mouth shut, avoiding the inevitable “Rue not a horse” argument.
As we flew over the Brute, Mahya called out, “What exactly happened here?”
“I tried out my new Clean spell,” I replied.
Al laughed behind me. “You cleaned it to death.”
“Yep, pretty much,” I said with a shrug.
“Did you think about our conversation?” he asked, his tone shifting slightly.
“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m being mindful and careful, but I also like the fire in my belly, you could say. In my case, the fire’s influence is a good thing – I needed something to help me get past my timidity.”
He grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t argue further. The quiet stretched between us as the breeze carried us toward the field, the distant junk piles fading into the background. Mahya and Rue were silent, both lost in thought. The sky grew darker by the minute, and fatigue began creeping in.
We landed near the edge of the field, and I opened the house. Not in the mood to cook, I pulled out some ready-made food, and we had a quiet dinner, all of us absorbed in our own thoughts. Mahya and Al headed to bed early, while I stayed up to watch a movie with Rue. We started the Ice Age series, and Rue found the squirrel with the acorn absolutely hilarious.
In the morning, we repeated the same formation and flew into the dungeon. It was strange. The portal lay flat on the ground like a pool, so I had to descend to enter it. But once we crossed to the other side, we exited the dungeon through a vertical entrance. For a moment, I felt a wave of vertigo from the sudden shift in orientation. It wasn’t physical vertigo, more of a mental disorientation, and it took me a second to regain my sense of balance.
On the other side, we were in a vast, open field stretching as far as I could see. And right in front of us was a massive herd of cattle. When I say massive, I mean HUGE—there had to be at least five hundred heads, maybe more. The sight was almost overwhelming. These weren’t like the cattle from Earth, though they weren’t too far off. I’ve seen much weirder creatures in Lumis, so this wasn’t completely shocking.
The cattle here were about fifty percent larger than any Earth breed I’d ever seen. They were solid black, with fur so long and thick it reminded me of an oversized version of Angus cattle. Their coats shimmered slightly under the dim light of the dungeon, giving them a strange, almost ethereal appearance. And then there were the horns—long, straight, and jutting out from the sides of their heads like polished bone spears. The creatures possessed an intimidating, regal look, as if they were bred for war instead of grazing.
For a second, I just hovered there, taking it all in. It was surreal. A herd this size, this calm, in a place like this... something wasn’t right.
Some cows raised their heads, lazily gazing at us for a moment before lowering them back down to continue grazing on the grass. It was almost too casual for a dungeon.
“I thought monsters were supposed to attack right away, didn’t they?” I asked, frowning at the sight.
“That’s what I thought too,” Mahya said, sounding equally confused.
“Then why aren’t they attacking?”
“No idea,” she replied, shaking her head.
“Maybe we should get closer?” Al suggested, his voice calm but curious.
“Do you want to land or stay in the air?” I asked, still hovering above the strange scene.
“With this many, better to stay in the air,” Al said, his tone cautious.
“He’s right,” Mahya agreed, her eyes scanning the herd below.
I started edging closer, descending a bit, but nothing happened. The cattle just continued munching on the grass as if we weren’t even there. No aggressive movements, no signs of hostility—just business as usual. I’d learned by now that every dungeon had its quirks, and each was different from the last, but this one still caught me off guard. Monsters that don’t attack? It was... odd, to say the least.
I got so close I could have reached out and petted the cows on the edge of the herd if I wanted to, and still, there was no reaction from them.
“Fly back to the rim and drop us off,” Mahya said, her voice steady but cautious.
I was about to turn and fly away when something strange caught my eye—a furry figure materialized just a few meters from the herd. It didn’t run over or approach—it appeared as if conjured from thin air. Before I could even process what was happening, all the cattle raised their heads in perfect unison, their attention snapping toward the creature.
Without warning, they charged, a full stampede thundering across the ground, trampling the furry creature underfoot. And just as quickly as it began, they slowed and resumed eating the grass as if nothing had happened.
It was surreal.
“What is happening?” Al asked, his voice filled with confusion.
“Beats me,” I said, shaking my head.
“I don’t think they’re monsters,” Mahya said, her tone thoughtful.
“No monsters?” I asked, frowning. “What do you mean? I thought dungeons only had monsters.”
“This is something Lis once told me,” she explained. “He knows someone who’s studied the subject of integration in depth. They’re good friends and spent several years together, and she shared a lot of what she learned with him. He mentioned that she told him about situations where a dungeon is created during integration, and sometimes it traps animals that were in the area when the dungeon formed. These animals aren’t monsters or mana beasts, but because they’re caught in the dungeon, they become part of it.”
“So what are we supposed to do with them?” I asked, still puzzled.
“I’m not sure,” Mahya said, frowning. “I think the creature they trampled was a monster, and judging by their reaction, I don’t think there will be any more monsters here—at least not on this floor. Let’s look for the descent to the next floor and see what happens there. It’s not something Lis mentioned, but I’m guessing that when we take the core, the cattle will be ejected from the dungeon with us.”
We flew around the floor, searching for the way down, and eventually found an entrance to a cave. Inside was a large, furry creature of indeterminate shape—it was just a massive lump of brown and black fur. No limbs, no eyes, no head, or anything resembling a typical creature.
As soon as we stepped inside, it roared and charged at us. I hit it with a lightning bolt while Mahya and Al opened fire with their guns. Rue didn’t even bother to participate. By the time the creature reached us, it was already dead, its body moving forward only by inertia.
It was the weirdest dungeon I’d ever encountered. Not that I was an expert, but still, it felt strange. Before I could finish the thought, Al chimed in, “This is the weirdest dungeon I’ve ever experienced.”
“I’ve seen weirder,” Mahya said with a shrug.
“Really?” I asked, curious. “Like what?”
“I’ll tell you outside. Let’s grab the core and get out of here,” she said.
Mahya reached for the core, but her hand stopped about ten centimeters from it, like there was some invisible barrier. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get closer.
Mahya’s face twisted in frustration as her hand froze just centimeters from the core. Her eyes narrowed, and she let out a string of curses, her voice rising with each word.
“Son of a bitch! Stupid ass mother fucking dungeon! What in the ever-living hell is this?! Bloody invisible barriers, damn stupid jackass dickhead core, and—!” She kicked at the air in frustration. “Why can’t anything ever be easy?! I swear, if this core doesn’t let me in, I will rip it apart with my bare hands!”
She huffed, her eyes blazing with anger. “This makes no sense! I hate this dungeon. Who designs something like this?!” She continued swearing in a different language, one I didn’t recognize, but judging by the intensity, it was definitely colorful.
Al and I exchanged a glance, shrugging in unison, unsure whether to laugh or just let her vent.
When Mahya finally finished voicing her opinion on the core, Al calmly said, “I think we should kill the cattle too.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” Mahya agreed.
“Why?” I asked, feeling confused.
“Because you can’t take a core without killing all the monsters in the dungeon,” she explained. “If the cattle have become part of the dungeon, even if they’re not monsters, they’re still part of it. That’s probably why we can’t take the core.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we should just leave them to keep eating grass inside?”
They both looked at me like I was insane, and Al said, “I was actually going to suggest we kill and store a lot of the cattle after the dungeon throws them out. These are dungeon-raised cows, meaning their meat will be soaked in mana. They’re also edible animals. At some point, we’ll need to hunt, especially if it’s hard to get into the cities in this world. So, instead of doing it outside, we’ll just have to take care of it inside.”
Now it was my turn to look at them like they were crazy. “There are over five hundred cows! Where exactly do you plan on storing them?” I glanced into my storage. “I have room for maybe a hundred, and that’s if I really cram them in. Where do you want to shove the rest?”
Both of their eyes lost focus for a moment, clearly checking their own storage capacities. Mahya spoke first. “I can store about that much, maybe a hundred and fifty if we butcher them and only keep the meat.”
“Me too,” Al added.
“Then let’s start taking care of them,” she said. “In the worst case, each of us can increase our Storage once. After we butcher them and store everything, we’ll see what’s left.”
“I have an idea,” I said suddenly. “I’ve got storage rings. If we put the meat inside them, will it hold?”
“Yes!” Mahya exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “How many do you have?”
I took out the rings and started counting. “I’ve got 34 rings. Two large ones that can store 28.56 cubic meters, 13 medium ones with 4.08 cubic meters each, and 19 small ones with 1.36 cubic meters each.”
Mahya pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen, her eyes narrowing as she looked over the herd of cows. Tilting her head from side to side, she began humming softly as she scribbled calculations. “I estimate each cow will give about three hundred and fifty kilograms of meat. What do you think?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted, shrugging.
“What John said,” Al chimed in, pointing at me.
Mahya huffed, narrowing her eyes in concentration before continuing her calculations on the page. After a few more moments of scribbling, she finally looked up and said, “We can store between 350 and 400 cows inside the rings.”
“Seriously?!” I was stunned.
She nodded confidently. “Yep, so it seems to me that we can store more than eight hundred cows with all our free space and the rings. We won’t need to increase our Storage, thank the spirits.”
“Are you sure you want to kill and butcher over five hundred cows?” I asked again, still feeling unsure about the task.
“What’s the problem?” Mahya asked, raising an eyebrow. “You told me about the bison at Shimoor. You had no problem killing them, so what’s the issue now? Besides, we’re not just killing them for sport. We’ll eat them. And with your familiar eating like ten, we might even have to hunt more later.”
“I don’t have a problem with killing animals for food; that’s not the question. But killing and butchering five hundred cows? That would take days.”
“If you’d finished your loot spell, it would have been quicker,” Mahya said, giving me a pointed look.
“Now that you mention it,” I said, scratching my chin. “I actually have a plan for a loot spell that would work for this situation. I just need to build it. So maybe we exit the dungeon, I’ll build the spell, and then we’ll come back and take care of them? What do you say? I really don’t feel like butchering five hundred or more cows by hand.”
Mahya considered it for a moment and nodded. I looked at Al, and he nodded, too.
Thank the Spirits!
After we left the dungeon, I got to work seriously on my loot spell for herbivores. I reviewed my plan thoroughly, making sure there were no hidden obstacles like the ones I’d discovered with the Clean spell. This time, everything seemed fine. My experience with the bison in Shimoor and knowledge from my Butchering and Skinning skills reassured me that the spell was correct.
It took me three days to build the first marble—the spell was simpler than the other spells I’d worked on. I made a few tweaks, such as ensuring the pelt would fall and spread neatly on the ground before the meat and internal parts dropped onto it instead of landing directly on the dirty ground. I also added a feature where the blood and offal would fly five meters away from the animal. Once I was satisfied, I closed the spell and channeled mana into it.
Congratulations, Wizard!
Through your skill, intellect, and mastery of the arcane arts, you have successfully created a new spell to harvest herbivores—one that has never existed in the annals of magic. The arcane forces have recognized this extraordinary achievement.
Please name your spell to finalize its creation: _______________.
I didn’t spend too much mental energy on the name and simply called it “Harvest Herbivore.”
Still no levels? Stingy system!
There was no rebuke, so I sent my dissatisfaction along the permanent connection I had now in my mind. Still no reaction.
What else is new?
Building two more spell marbles for Mahya and Al took me another five days. Familiarity with the spell shortened the time a bit. By the time I finished, I had a killer headache, and no matter how many times I cast Healing Touch, it didn’t help. After eight days of intense concentration, with just one break for a few hours of sleep, I was done for. I gave them the marbles and crawled to bed.
The next day, after I slept for sixteen hours straight, we returned to the dungeon. Rue stayed outside to explore the area a bit, promising to be careful.
We were sure that the others would retaliate once we attacked the first cow, even if they weren’t monsters. Mahya devised a methodical strategy to do it quickly and safely.
The three of us remained invisible. I hovered in the air, shooting lightning bolts. As soon as I stunned a cow and it locked up, Mahya or Al would rush in and cut its throat. Meanwhile, we didn’t bother herding the cows or managing them in any way; we simply killed them one by one and left them where they fell. The other cows would scatter each time, but catching up to them wasn’t an issue. We worked like this, methodically, for four or five hours until all the cows were dead.
Once there were no more cows left, the three of us began casting my new spell over and over again. It was expensive—350 mana per cast—but its practicality couldn’t be denied. Mahya was the first to run out of mana, so she took the storage rings and started packing the meat away while Al and I continued. When Al’s mana ran out, I kept going. Even with my high mana reserves, I could only harvest 33 cows before needing to regenerate, and it took me four hours to be full again. It took us two full days to harvest all the cows and store the meat. In the end, Mahya counted a total of 624 cows.
By the time we finished, all the rings were full, and most of my coolers were full. When I checked my storage, I realized I hadn’t accounted for the fact that putting meat inside the coolers meant the meat took up the same space as the cooler itself, so I hadn’t lost any storage capacity.
After we were done, I placed my core on the ground and commanded it to absorb everything. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting left in the dungeon—just grass, which Al said was about the same quality as the grass from the dungeon where we’d gotten the nature affinity.
Once the dungeon was empty and only its hazy borders remained, we each touched the core and received ten gold coins. They looked unhappy with the dungeon reward, but I didn't mind. After all, it wasn't just the gold but a massive supply of meat. Mahya collected the core, and the dungeon spat us out into the field.
As soon as we emerged, Rue ran up to me, placing his paws on my shoulders and licking my face. He then informed me, “John, cook Rue yummy mana cow!”
“I promise I’ll cook for you tomorrow, buddy. Right now, I need to sleep.”
“John promise?” Rue asked, his eyes wide.
“I promise,” I assured him.
After a long, hot shower, I dropped into bed, exhausted. This world had delivered on its promise. We hadn’t even left the Gate area and already had a dungeon—with a ten-year beef supply.
Comments
TravelingDreamer
Yeah, storage rings act like their storage - everything is in suspension.
ReadingObsessed
Years worth of beef and it won't go bad? Maybe I'm just old but that's an awesome superpower.
Obran
A perpetual hamburger machine
Obran
It is too bad you can’t use a dungeon core to rebuild a dungeon, otherwise, John could set up the beef dungeon in his house’s pantry and have an infinitely renewable supply of beef
