D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 2157: Chapter 2157 Missing a Core Issue

--- Kat ---

The next offshoot was both more and less interesting. On the one hand, it seemed like this other path used its close proximity to the water room to make use of all the fresh water running through it. The downside was that this place seemed to have once been a farm for all sorts of things but it was ruined now without anything interesting to see. If the original greenhouse was more of a laboratory, this one was clearly how they produced food for the area.

It wasn’t just plants they grew here once upon a time but there were ponds for fish, or at least some other form of aquatic life to grow. Whatever might have originally been in those tanks had long since died out. More than one tank had simply broken down, with glass shards everywhere and the water that was pumped through the tank now simply going to one of the nearby drains.

The various garden beds had long since become waterlogged. The dirt that had once grown a number of seeds had worn out entirely due to lack of replenishment and whatever plant matter had once been around had long since washed away. Kat supposed that was part of the reason for the water. It had kept flowing on a timer long after it ceased to be needed.

There was also a section for preserved food... but the floor in that particular room was gone and whatever tasty treats had once been served there were long gone. Annoyingly, the missing floor indicated that it connected back to that the same set of tunnels she’d fought the shapeshifting monster in. *Still... I suppose that tells me how it managed to avoid starving...*

Whatever the case, it meant that there wasn’t anything here worth taking out and the group quickly made their way back out to the main hall. This triggered another fight, but luckily the golems were still the same water versions which meant taking them out wasn’t too hard and didn’t leave behind any fire to burn Furen afterwards.

They made their way down past another few sets of alternate pathways but this time they were ignored. All the way up until they found the very last room in this place, all the way at the back... and it was just a bunch of dormitories. Kat felt her eye twitching a bit as she moved another half-broken door aside to reveal remnants of someone’s bedroom.

”Dammit. So where do we need to go from here?” asked Kat.

”Well there’s still six more offshoots... or there could be some sort of hidden area at the end here that has the path to the core,” offered Furen.

”And what do you think?” asked Kat as she kicked aside the remains of a broken chair, as if somehow removing a few bits of wood would let her see a secret entrance below it.

”I... I don’t know. I feel like... if something like that water room is easily accessible then the core should be as well... but at the same time I don’t know what could be more secret? If that makes sense?” mumbled Furen.

Kat nodded, ”Normally I’d want to ask Lily if she could sense anything... but I don’t really plan to wake her for this. My big question would be... where is the second floor? Chisel seemed to think that it was further down below, and we haven’t really seen any stairs. The water room arguably had multiple floors but it was all open...”

”Damn that’s a good point. I mean... I want to say it’s just because as a dwarf, and one with experience mining, he’d be more at home in those caves but they were a fucking death trap. There has to be some way down to the second floor then doesn’t there?” grumbled Furen.

”That’s what it seems,” agreed Kat. ”Not sure something like that would be in one of the offshoot rooms but like...” Kat waved her hand around as she stepped back out into the dormitory hall. It was a smaller place really. The main hall had emptied out into a smaller room that split the path in two.

Both sides, from the brief glance Kat had given them, seemed to be matching hallways of a more normal size with a number of personal rooms on either side. They’d checked the ones right at the end, and while they were slightly larger, they also seemed to have fallen apart all the same. It meant that her guesses as to where the stairs might be where few and far between. Especially if she wanted to avoid spending an age searching everything.

”Check the other half? Maybe? We just poked our head in...” Furen offered.

Kat sighed but nodded, ”Alright let’s take a look.” Despite agreeing Kat didn’t think the chance that the other half of the dorms would have some secret in them. Of course, despite believing that she’d quickly be proved wrong in a rather embarrassing way. Kat was reminded once again that... well... despite her thin frame and only slightly above average height she was heavy. Much heavier then someone her size ’should’ be.

As they were walking down the hall, Kat stepped on one of the tiles, one that she would learn in a moment was actually an exceptionally thin tile glued to a bunch of rotted wood. As soon as Kat stepped on it she heard a groaning sound, but before she could figure out exactly what was making the noise, she got into a ready stance... and promptly fell through the floor. Lily awoke from the sudden, sharp drop and leapt away from Kat shadows ready.

Kat meanwhile couldn’t help but be embarrassed. Sure it was rotting wood but that didn’t change the fact she’d just fallen through the floor. Kat supressed the blush creeping up her face as she brushed herself off. The staircase that was meant to carry you down the trapdoor had also been destroyed in her descent and it left the area somewhat cramped, as Kat was now beneath a set of secret stairs and couldn’t really see anything.

”Everyone alright?” asked Kat.

”Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” retorted Furen at the same time as Lily. Though for Lily the retort was purely mental.

”Well I’m fine... how are the stairs looking?” asked Kat.

Lily and Furen leant over to look down into the hole Kat had made for herself... and it was hard to say. Most of the visible area that was now uncovered consisted of Kat. The rest was hard to see through the dark and the flooring that was still in place. Kat obviously hadn’t opened this the proper way. Still, Lily was easily able to throw the remaining fake tiles off to the side to reveal... a rather dodgy looking staircase.

The wood had not been preserved well for some reason. Perhaps they’d forgotten to enchant them or something but Lily wasn’t sure they’d survive anyone using them. Worse, the staircase clearly continued down for some way. Lily transformed back to announce, ”Nope, whole staircase is trash. We’ll have to hover down... but it’s kind of awkward...”

Kat checked Lily’s memories and agreed with a nod. The staircase was MAYBE just barely wide enough for Kat’s wings and she had no idea what would happen if she flew with them slightly scrunched up. Then again... there was an alternative solution that came to mind. ”Can you reinforce the stairs with your shadows? At least for you and Furen? Maybe just her?”

”I can go Memphis form first so that’s less weight... and then probably? Depends how long the stairs are. The lights aren’t working and there’s a ninety degree turn a decent ways down... but it shouldn’t take too much I don’t think? My main worry would be that I need to get the technique correct quickly...” despite this Lily was nodding. Soon, she’d transformed and was starting to spread her shadows along the staircase and then sort of... sink them in a bit?

Lily wasn’t sure it was working but it her mana wasn’t draining too fast but it was more than normal so it was probably fine? Kat was already moving though to avoid hitting the edge of the tunnel with her wings she’d transformed into water and was simply moving her way down as a floating blob. Still in the lead of course.

Lily hopped down onto the staircase a few moments later and found that it didn’t creak at all. Not that it was a sure sign because she was much lighter than a person at the moment... but it was something. Then the moment of truth came. Furen could’ve jumped down... but she decided to be safer about it

Furen lowered herself down slowly using the corner of the tiles and eventually touched down on the stairs. They did creak a little, but Lily could tell they would hold. She nodded at Furen before starting her way down the stairs, Furen following closely behind. Lily didn’t have enough shadow to cover the whole thing so sticking close was a good idea.