Harmony: Harmony Book 1, page 43
“What could we possibly have that might interest an entity like the dungeon core?” Nate raised an eyebrow, echoing exactly the thoughts that were in Leah’s head.
“For starters, information,” the golem said and began to approach them. “The dungeon wants to know why you, young man, bear resemblance to dungeon cores to her senses. And before you answer, know that the core will be able to decipher whether you’re telling the truth or lying.”
“I’m not sure why,” Nate shrugged, trying to convey the idea that he was as confused about it as everyone else.
“Nice try, kid,” the golem actually laughed at Nate’s attempt to dodge giving a truthful answer. Leah also didn’t seem very pleased with the young mage at that moment, if the icy glare she gave him was any indication of her feelings at the moment.
Sighing deeply, Nate weighed his options there. If he could believe the golem, he could refuse to answer and the situation they were in wouldn’t get any worse. The problem, however, was that the situation was already pretty bad.
Up to that point, they had managed to deal with everything the dungeon had thrown at them, but the golem had no reason to lie when saying they would encounter increasingly difficult challenges ahead. Maybe now that the core would be taking a step back in its direct interference, they could handle all the challenges designed for Tiers 2, but what would they do when they encountered the first Tier 3 challenge?
They could retrace their steps and look for the passages the golem warned them they had ignored, but again, that would be believing the golem was being completely honest and straightforward about it. For all Nate knew, one of the passages the construct referred to could be the waterfall they fell down and that they couldn’t possibly climb back up. Or the two passages could be in unreachable or impossible-to-find places, like at the bottom of the lake or hidden as a false wall. Heck, one of the passages could be the place from which the golems in that room had continued to fall for so long and they couldn’t do anything about it.
On the other hand, the dungeon could also be lying about helping them find a way out. The only indication that the dungeon might be an entity that kept its word was how it treated children, and that could be just one term of the contract it signed with the city of Deepmine. Nate could be risking revealing part of his secrets for nothing.
“Nate, just tell the truth. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we’ll be home safely,” Leah said as she put a hand on the man’s shoulder, having come up beside him without him realizing it.
Nate took a slight start at the touch, having become so lost in his thoughts that he lost track of everything around him, but he found her determined eyes and made his decision. It wasn’t fair for him to make Leah go through untold dangers just so he could keep a few little secrets.
“I’m really not sure why I resemble a dungeon core to the Golem Factory’s senses,” Nate said. “But it’s probably because I used a fragment of a dungeon core to form my own mana core.”
Nate didn’t know how any of the other two people would react to this news. Well, three people, if he counted the dungeon core. He didn’t dare to look at Leah to see what expression she was making, but the golem remained impassive as if that was something she expected to hear. The mage had worried that the Golem Factory would be even more upset when it found out that he had used what practically constituted the remains of a member of its species, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
“Interesting,” the golem said in a neutral tone. “And are you of a species capable of assimilating new materials into your body, or did you make use of some magical means?”
“I was human before,” Nate admitted with a sigh. “I used magic to create the mana core. It’s not really a fragment of a dungeon core, though. The fragment was just used as material to form it.”
“Even more interesting,” the golem continued, this time showing genuine interest in the young man’s response. “And let me ask you one more thing, kid. Whatever you did, can it be repeated?”
Chapter 48
“Fuck, I needed this,” Nate sighed as he enjoyed the delightful sensation of the warm water cascading over his face. This had always been one of the small pleasures Nate liked to indulge in after a tiring day, and he was glad he hadn’t had to give it up yet. He knew that enjoying something like this would be difficult during the expedition, but for now, he still had all the luxuries he was accustomed to in his daily life. And he certainly deserved some rest after the day he had.
After the mage answered the questions the Golem Factory had for him, it - or perhaps she - kept her word and stopped making things difficult for Nate and Leah. That didn’t mean their day had been easy from there on, though. Quite the opposite, in fact, as they had to fight their way through to the surface.
Even with the sentient golem pointing out the best path for them to take, that didn’t change the fact that the core had sent them to an area where she expected them to die. Nate was trying not to hold it against her, though. He could even respect how paranoid the Golem Factory was, knowing he would have acted similarly if their positions were reversed. The young mage had even agreed to return to the dungeon soon to discuss more about the origin of his mana core.
However, Nate wasn’t stupid. He was almost certain he knew exactly why the dungeon was showing so much interest in the matter. Just as Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy, the dungeon core wanted to be more than a sentient crystal sitting on an altar for all eternity. After all, if it was possible for a human to become part dungeon, what prevented the reverse from being true as well? Nate was also extremely curious to know the answer to this puzzle, and he was seriously considering bargaining with the dungeon for the secret of the ritual that changed him.
Nate became even more inclined to do this when the dungeon core kept her word and let them go. He had no illusions that the Golem Factory held all the power in that situation, and she could have let them go deeper into the dungeon until the only option for them to keep their lives was to yield to any demands the more powerful entity had. Instead, she pointed them in the direction of the exit and settled only for a vague promise to visit her again soon. For all the dungeon core knew, Nate could leave the world an hour later and never return, but she still preferred to take this course of action rather than a more authoritarian and aggressive one.
Nate would have to find Jess before making the proposal to the dungeon, but he had no doubt that the older fairy wouldn’t refuse to help him. Not when her curiosity was second only to that of a child who saw a hidden present in the closet on Christmas Eve. Gwen had said that Jess had spent the nights with her during the time she was ‘alone’ in Harmony, so Nate knew there was a good chance the Tier 6 was nearby watching all of them. If that were the case, all he needed to do was say her name out loud and she would appear, but this was not the ideal time for that. He was naked, after all.
“I wonder if Harper has arrived yet,” Nate murmured to himself as he looked down. “I could really use her help to relieve the stress of the day.”
Shaking his head, Nate turned off the shower and grabbed his towel. In moments, he was dry, dressed, and leaving his room. None of the girls who had gone out for their own errands had returned by the time he and Leah finally made it through the door, but that could have changed while he took his leisurely shower. With any luck, he would discreetly bring Harper upstairs and enjoy some fun moments before Leah found some excuse to keep the other girl away from him. Or before Gwen intervened.
“Any news from the girls?” Nate asked as he entered the common room of his building and found only Leah lying on one of the sofas.
“I found a note Ursula left in my room saying that she and Mia met up with the others and they decided to explore more of the city together. I’m surprised no one left you a note too.”
“Honestly, I didn’t look for one,” Nate shrugged and sank into one of the armchairs with a relaxed groan. That armchair wasn’t exactly the most comfortable in the world, or even in the room, but after the day he had, it felt like he was resting his buttocks on fluffy clouds.
The two of them fell into silence as they tried to relax and shake off all the stress they had felt during the day. Stress that seemed to be exacting its toll on them now that both of them were safe and out of action. Nate thought it was a companionable silence between two friends who had fought and bled side by side, but the words Leah suddenly uttered proved that she had much more occupying her mind than he did.
“You knew, didn’t you?” Leah asked in a voice that betrayed no emotions.
“What?” Nate asked, trying to gain time even though he was sure he knew what she was referring to.
“You knew the dungeon was giving us special attention from the moment we entered it,” Leah concluded her thought. Her words may not have had an accusing tone, but they left no doubt that the girl had already discovered the truth and just wanted to hear him admit it. “That’s why you had that strange reaction, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Nate said with a small sigh, answering both questions with just one word.
“You’re a jerk, Nate,” Leah spat as she got up from the couch without looking at him. “After all the times you called me an idiot, reckless, and whatever else, you were the one risking my life for some toys.”
“Leah, I didn’t know...” Nate began to explain, but the girl cut him off.
“You didn’t know what?” Leah snapped and stopped walking towards the door, even though she didn’t turn to face him. “That the dungeon’s attention could be dangerous? That we could be signing our death certificates? That I deserved to know the risk I was truly taking when I thought we were just having fun?”
“I wasn’t sure if the feeling I felt was the dungeon watching us, Leah,” Nate tried to explain. “You know these powers are new to me. I’ve never felt anything like that before, and I didn’t know what it really was.”
“Oh, but I bet you had a good theory, didn’t you?” Leah snarled as she turned around, although in her human form it didn’t have nearly the same effect as when she did it in her hybrid form. “If not at first, then when the dungeon gifted us with a chest full of crap and triggered a trap we had already overcome. You had plenty of chances to tell me what was really going on instead of letting me find out when a talking head confronted you about it!”
“I didn’t want to worry you, okay?” Nate raised his voice as he exclaimed back and got up from the chair. “It would only distract you at a moment when you couldn’t afford it! Besides, the dungeon would hear everything I told you. Do you think it would have been wise to give the dungeon information she could have used against us?”
“Oh, the same information you gave to her shortly afterward anyway?” Leah asked with exaggerated sarcasm. “I’m sure someone who thinks they’re as smart as you could think of something, even if it was just to say, ‘hey, Leah, I can’t tell you the reason for this, but the dungeon is trying really hard to kill us!’”
“Revealing that I could sense the dungeon watching us would reveal too much of our hand,” Nate yelled with fire igniting in his veins.
“What hand, Nate?” Leah yelled even louder, her beautiful face twisted in red fury. “We didn’t have a hand to play. Once again, you were just thinking about protecting those ridiculous secrets, regardless of what you’re risking to do so. Did you even consider what would have happened if it weren’t me with you there, Nate? I’m the most powerful in the pack by a good margin! How many of my Tier 1 would have died if they were there with you?”
“I wouldn’t have taken a Tier 1 with me,” Nate huffed and rolled his eyes.
“You are a Tier 1, you idiot,” Leah mimicked his huff and poked his chest with a finger. Nate almost grabbed her finger when she did, but he managed to restrain himself before doing something they would both regret. “But okay, what if Ursula was in my place with you? Did you know she can’t swim?”
Nate frowned at receiving this information. No, he didn’t know Ursula couldn’t swim, and he couldn’t shake from his mind the ideas of what might have happened to the girl if she had switched places with the alpha. Nate would like to think he could have carried her across the entire stretch of water while still dealing with the boats, but could he really? And what about the octopus they fought against? What would have happened to Ursula on that occasion?
“Oh, it seems someone is starting to understand,” Leah said condescendingly. “You’re not alone anymore, Nate, and you need to stop acting like you are. As for me, maybe I need to rethink my position and that of my pack.”
“What?” Nate asked incredulously. “Are you really threatening to break our agreement?”
“I am the alpha of the pack, Nate,” Leah continued through clenched teeth. “It’s my duty to look after them! Your offer is good, I admit. Maybe even too good. But what good is accepting it if I’ll be leading my pack to death? How can I trust that you won’t sacrifice my people and my friends to protect some stupid secret when you’re willing to sacrifice me!”
“I wasn’t sacrificing you, Leah!” shouted Nate. “What, you thought this world was full of flowers and rainbows? You knew the dangers. You knew what you were getting into, and yet you accepted my proposal.”
“I thought I knew,” Leah roared. “Just as I thought I could trust you! I want to be part of this with you, Nate, truly. But how can I rationalize sending my pack to fight for you knowing that at any moment you could send them on a suicide mission just to hide what color your underwear is or something equally ridiculous? And your secret was as ridiculous as that. What the hell do you think one of us would do with the information that you used a dungeon core fragment to create a mana core? Do you think we would take that important information and give it to a mysterious and powerful figure who for some reason hates you enough to want you dead, but not enough to just do it personally and end the problem? Wake up, Nate! This paranoia and lack of trust in your friends is what will eventually lead you to be abandoned. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but there will come a day when you will have pushed everyone away. Is that what you want, for everyone to stop liking you? Don’t you feel lonely not being able to trust anyone?”
“Wise words, my dear,” said Nate, trying to keep a neutral tone of voice but failing miserably. No acting in the world would hide the fury burning under his skin. Fury that burned doubly to hide even from the man himself how truly Leah’s words had hit Nate. “I’ll have to take some time later to think about how lonely I am and how no one likes me. Maybe I’ll do it right after I finish fucking the girl you love, then I can even ask her opinion about it.”
The moment Nate finished saying those words, he knew they couldn’t be taken back. He understood he had made a mistake, and not just because of the fist that hit him square in the face and made him see stars.
Almost by pure instinct, Nate ducked in time to feel the air rushing over his hair with the passage of an armchair over him. Leah had just thrown a piece of furniture at him, and apparently she wasn’t finished. With a growl from the depths of her throat, Leah advanced on Nate and tried to punch him on the face again.
The mage was prepared after the first surprise attack, however. He used one of his hands to deflect her attack and then countered with the other, landing a quick punch on her face that made her head snap back. Not satisfied with the result, Nate dodged another punch and connected his fist with her nose hard enough to seriously hurt a human. He momentarily felt bad as he felt her nose give way under his fist, but a pain in his knee made him quickly leave that moment behind.
Both of them simultaneously stepped back to assess the situation. Nate had taken a kick to the knee that, although it had hindered his mobility, wasn’t enough to take him out of the fight. And he could even feel his body healing, as indicated by the fading pain he felt in the area.
Leah, on the other hand, had her nose flattened against one of her cheeks. Nate didn’t know if it was broken or just twisted, but that certainly wasn’t a very flattering look on her. She easily remedied that, however, by holding her nose with her hand and pulling it back into place as if it were nothing. She didn’t even show any pain or discomfort while doing so, as expected of the daughter of the Great Alpha.
“You throw punches like a girl,” Leah taunted Nate as she began to circle the room, being immediately mirrored by him.
“And you throw insults like a character in a comedy movie,” Nate scoffed sarcastically.
To Nate’s surprise, his words seemed to have an effect, as the girl abandoned her human form and assumed her hybrid one. The moment Nate saw the girl open and close her fingers ending in dangerous claws, he knew he was screwed, but he couldn’t back down there. Doing so would practically prove he was inferior to her, and he definitely wasn’t. All he needed to do was prove that.
As Leah lunged at him again, ignoring the couch that stood between them, Nate held his ground and blocked her attack with his arm, preventing her claws from reaching their target: his face. However, Nate found himself flying backward when the force of her attack was enough to lift him off the ground. He knew the werewolf alpha was strong, but not that strong. There was a difference between seeing her tear apart a giant golem and being on the receiving end of so much physical power.
Nate didn’t stay on the ground for long, as Leah had jumped and was now falling with a foot aimed to land on his chest. She was barefoot, so he had no doubt those claws would make a masterpiece on his torso if they connected. So, to avoid the attack that was definitely going overboard, he began to roll.
Leah, who wasn’t actually trying to eviscerate the man but rather hit him with her knee instead of her foot, landed on one of her knees with such force that she broke the floor. Normally she would have been more excited about literally making a superhero landing, but she had more important things to worry about at the moment. She could force Nate to tell everyone how cool that had been after she kicked his ass so hard that her footprint would forever be marked there.
