Chapter 297 The children of the beas (1/2)

Tiny, Crinis and I hauled ourselves out of our temporary respite home to join Morrelia on the surface.

[What happened to the survivors of Midum?] I queried.

[They're getting their stuff together and heading south as quick as their legs will carry them. It might take them awhile to get on the road though, they have almost the entire city to loot after all] Morrelia smirked.

[How much of that stuff is going to be useful? If they turn up with a mountain of vases and precious jewels they are going to be pretty d.a.m.n useless when they get to the village. I don't think they even have currency there yet.]

[Oh I've no doubt there will be some idiots who prioritise valuables, but I think that most of them will be more sensible and bring things that will be actually useful. I'm expecting quite the interesting haul.]

Judging by the dangerous glint in Morrelias eyes there is a.s.suredly something she knows that I don't. As long as it doesn't affect the colony in any way, then I don't really care what they get up to.

[So ] I prompted her, [what about this trail you found?]

[Oh, right. When I following you to this location I happened to notice that something had carved a path through the forest before doubling back and heading toward Liria. Judging by the tracks there is absolutely a big beastie in the mix.]

[Interesting] I mused out loud, [perhaps their core ran out of mana, forcing them to turn back to the city in order to recharge? It isn't as if they have a local guide to point them toward every little crack in the ground after all.]

Morrelia leaned toward me, interest pain on her face.

[So the mana on the surface is too thin for you? Is your core really that developed?]

My antennae waved self-consciously.

[What? Are you core shaming me? Yes, the mana on the surface is too thin for me and Tiny both. Is that so weird?]

She shrugged.

[You just don't seem to be large enough or evolved enough to have such a strong core. Most creatures from the first strata are able to run around on the surface if they break out of the Dungeon. There are powerful exceptions of course, I doubt Garralosh could last up here more than ten minutes.]

[Is she really just a first strata monster? Seems to me that the mother of those beasts would be too much of a big shot for the top layer of the Dungeon, surely?]

Morrelia paused for a moment before she looked at me oddly.

[You aren't wrong] she said finally, [she is way too strong to be as close to the surface as she has been. Mostly because she's been prevented from getting any lower.]

Something about her tone tells me that she won't be much more forthcoming on that topic, so I let the conversation lapse as we find the trail and start a high speed chase.

Thank goodness I managed to get a food a quick nap. Core aside, I needed the rest. There has been way too much running about up here! It shames my ant self to say it, but this is just too much d.a.m.n work!

Morrelia is keeping a few things from me, specifically about the Dungeon and Garralosh, but I don't mind that too much. If someone spent their entire life fighting against monsters, it would be a little tough to turn around and trust one with all of your most precious secrets. Especially those pertaining to security.