Chapter 20: Olivia’s Lessons

Chapter 20:
Olivia’s Lessons

 

WE HAD THE DAY off school, so I decided to head to the hidden dungeon. The meeting Lola had set up with that cleric wasn’t until that evening, so I had plenty of time to kill. First, I hunted some more golden slimes on the first floor. Their delectably sweet jelly filled my mouth and filled the rest of me with happiness.

“They really are delicious.”

The levels I earned in the process were a nice bonus too. All I really had to worry about was their corrosive spit, which by now I knew how to dodge. Today’s harvest got me up to Level 42, which was good enough for me. Then I headed to the second floor to see Olivia. I wanted to ask her for advice about Maria’s curse.

<Hmm, that sounds kinda like it might be a family curse.>

“You mean like one of her ancestors got cursed?”

<Yeah, exactly! Sometimes someone earns another person’s ire and their grandkids end up born with curse skills.>

If that was it, then Maria was suffering through no fault of her own. That just made me want to help her even more. Apparently, there was also a skill that could lift the curse, so I thought I’d try to make it, but my hopes were dashed immediately—the LP required was in five digits.

<Why don’t you just chill and let that cleric handle it? If she has the appropriate kind of skill, she’s probably got some elf blood in her. They do call elves the uncorrupted race, after all.>

“An elf, huh? I dunno if I’ve even talked to one before.”

<Other species are great! You get a lot of extra LP with ’em.>

“Really?! I’ll have to take advantage of that.”

<You better!>

I felt a little embarrassed to be on the same page as Olivia for once. At any rate, I wanted to tackle the fifth floor next. I needed to get stronger, and also wanted to find treasure and raw materials from monsters. I mentioned what the ghosts on the fourth floor had said about the giant monsters on the fifth floor to my master; she surely had some strategy tips.

<If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, I’d recommend Blinding Light. It’s super useful when you have to bail on a fight.>

I liked the sound of that.

 

Blinding Light — 200 LP

 

I’d earned a bunch of LP yesterday and topped up with my mother, Alice, and Emma already, so I didn’t even hesitate. I was so eager, I immediately decided to try it out. When I cast the spell, a flash of light shot from the tip of my index finger.

It was blindingly bright! It seemed like the perfect way to create a distraction, but there was one problem—I’d neglected to close my eyes, so I could barely see. What a boneheaded move. I heard my master’s shrill voice as I rubbed my eyes, cackling at my poor decision making.

<Oh my god! That was like, totally radical! You’re so rad today, Noir! Your bodacious babe of a master might just fall for you at this rate!>

“Master…no one says ‘radical’ and ‘bodacious’ anymore.”

<No way! They were all the rage back in my day. Don’t tell me they stopped calling penniless nobles ‘noufaux riche’ too!>

“Yeah, no one uses that either. Though if there’s anyone that one would apply to, it’s me.”

<Ah ha ha ha! Don’t you worry about that, money’s easy to get.>

“Money’s one thing, but I’m really more interested in LP right now.”

<Well, if you want the great and powerful Olivia’s knowledge, you must first make her laugh!>

I had a feeling this was coming; she always teased me like this. Despite her age, my master still had quite a mischievous side. That said, if she knew how I could earn more LP, I couldn’t hesitate.

<Anything’s fine as long as you make me laugh.>

“Got it.”

I got down on all fours and started sniffing around. When she asked if I was supposed to be a dog, I responded with a bark. Then I sniffed my own crotch and dramatically collapsed on the ground. I flopped around a little and rolled my eyes back like I’d died.

“I give you…a dog who died after sniffing his own crotch…ma’am.”

<What a dumb dog! You oughta be more careful with that sharp nose of yours!>

The joke was a little dirty, but I got a cackle out of her, so I guess I succeeded?

<That was pretty funny, so I’ll give you some more advice: try making the skill Magical Fusion.>

“That sounds powerful.”

<It’s real useful. It does exactly what it sounds like, and it’s especially powerful when combined with combat magic. It should work with your Stone Bullet and Holy Flame.>

I quickly spent the 500 LP to make the spell and then, following her advice, used it to combine the two spells in question, producing a stone that burned with white flame.

“That’s so cool!”

<It has the same elemental properties as Holy Flame and you can change the size of the Stone Bullet too. Just be careful not to use up all your magic.>

I fired it as a test and was pleased to discover that it was just as easy to use as the vanilla spells.

<The one thing you have to keep in mind is spell compatibility. The typical example everyone uses is trying to mix water and fire spells—the less compatible two spells are, the higher the cost.>

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

<There are all sorts of good combos though. You should try mixing and matching as you learn more.>

With such a capable person guiding me, I felt like the world was my oyster. I was satisfied with the tip she gave me, but she still had an impish smirk on her face.

“What? Is there something else?”

<I do have one more tip, about min-maxing your performance.>

“Do I have to make you laugh again?”

<No, this time I’ll let it go for the low price of a compliment.>

“Master, I think you’re a beautiful lady who’s bright, playful, and optimistic.”

<Ooh, I’m a beautiful lady now, am I? Am I really that old…?>

“Pretty girl then.”

<I can’t hear you.>

“You’re a pretty girl!”

<I feel two hundred years younger already!>

That probably took off a few too many years then… She seemed happy though, so for once I kept my snark to myself.

<All right, here’s another must-have skill: Lucky Lecher.>

Something about that phrase set my hetero instincts on fire.

<There’s a fixed chance of it activating automatically when a member of the opposite sex is in your vicinity. You’ll earn LP and some nice memories too—two birds, one stone!>

“I’m not sure I believe that, but if it’ll earn me LP, I guess I have to.”

<He he he, you’re such a bad boy, Noir.>

I was really, definitely only doing it for the LP.

 

Lucky Lecher — 300 LP

 

I got the skill with no trouble. It actually seemed a little cheap. After that, I finished my business with my master and set out for the fifth floor—using the Dungeon Elevator to open up a hole in front of me.

“Speaking of smells, you haven’t bathed in over two hundred years mast—actually, I should be on my way!”

<You’re holding your nose? Could you get any ruder? Do I really smell that bad?!>

“Heh, a gentleman never tells,” I teased and jumped into the hole.

She really didn’t smell at all, if I was being honest. And even if she did, I’d have been happy to Deodorize her.