Construction Mage - Chapter 16: After Killing Time is Looting Time

AN: Finally new update! I changed a few things based on some feedback from you guys and fellow authors, particularly in the early chapters, and removed the backstory chapter for now. That's why I'm releasing chapter 16 again, it's actually a completely new chapter from where we left off and would've been chapter 17.

Now, you don't HAVE to reread everything, and you can continue as it is from here. The only change you should be aware of is that Clay has been plotting to found an Adventurer's Guild much earlier now.

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“The study of dungeon loot has barely progressed since the Descent. All we know is that materials from the dungeon aren’t the same as what we have on the surface. Some say it is because of the mana flowing within the materials, while some say it is due to the dungeon materials being vastly superior variants that we failed to understand. Only one thing is certain. The profession skills given by the dungeon can only work with materials sourced from the dungeon. This has contributed to the divide between those who have become Delvers and those who are not, and is widening with each passing year.”

-Journal entry from Royal Scholar Aedric Quillborn, 6 AD

***

Not wanting to take any chances, Clay mediated until both his stamina and mana were full. His health still hadn’t gone up, but it at least didn’t worsen. That could change if his wounds started bleeding again, but that wasn’t something he was interested in testing.

With his body back in shape, it was finally time for the loot. Clay had managed to eliminate the five kobold monsters, all of which were higher level and a more advanced variant than anything he had previously confronted. Despite the precarious situation he was in, lost in the underground labyrinth of the first layer somewhere, Clay still couldn’t contain his anticipation. After all, what could be more exciting than loot?

Cautiously getting to his feet, Clay gave the remaining arrow stuck to his thigh one more time before shaking his head. The one in his chest was shallow, so he easily pulled it out and wrapped some bandages around the wound. However, the arrowhead of the remaining arrow was embedded much deeper. He was afraid of bleeding out if he wantonly pulled it out. 

As a result, he walked with a limp. With adrenaline fading, he could no longer ignore the pain.

Nevertheless, he clenched his jaw and powered forth. He first gingerly knelt down by the Kobold Knight’s remains and began inspecting his spoils.

He placed a hand on the armor, and to his surprise, nothing appeared.

Is it just normal iron plate armor, then? Or is it because I haven’t fully taken it off it?

Not wanting to delve into the intricacies of how to undress armor, he moved to a safer bet, the sword the kobold had wielded. Its previous wielder had made it look like a longsword, but once Clay got a closer look, it was closer to a shortsword by human standards. Still, it had fine engravings of artwork along its edge, a rare piece of workmanship.

[Uncommon - Kobold Longsword of Heft: A longsword sized for species of shorter stature. It has the property of adding more weight behind each strike, allowing the user to stand their ground against bigger and stronger foes. It is possible for a Blacksmith to learn the blueprint. +4 Strength (Physical Only), +2 Endurance (Physical Only).]

An uncommon weapon. Only a step up from—common, I guess. The stat boost is tantalizing, alright, but it only works for physical classes? That’s super unfair!

Desperate for something he could use himself, Clay quickly moved to remove the armor from the corpse. It took a lot of tugging and pulling, in a manner that was almost certainly the wrong way of doing it, but it eventually did come off, piece by piece.

Unfortunately, it was a dud.

Nothing happened despite holding onto the plate armor. Clay was almost sure that meant it was just mundane armor. Still, quality metalwork had value. Just the raw material alone could earn him a tidy sum, considering how high the weapon prices were.

That’s why he stuffed his burlap sack with the armor, despite how heavy it was. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, especially with an injured leg. Clay didn’t care, though. He had already weathered the danger, so he was adamant about enjoying the rewards. If it became an issue later, he could always just leave it behind, but he wouldn’t willingly do so until his hand was forced.

I really need to hire a porter to help me, or at least get a big backpack. Those Delvers who gave me the mediate skill book had a guy with one that was bigger than a person. I wonder how much they cost?

With the Kobold Knight’s armor removed, its naked body was revealed. A faint glint caught Clay’s attention, netting him another mana crystal.

After that, he proceeded to pick the other four monsters clean. All of their equipment was mundane, so he only pocketed the metal bits and pieces, such as the spearhead. Other than that, they each strangely carried a candle for some reason, which he took as well.

With his bag full of goodies, Clay finally continued down the path where the five monsters had once blocked. He soon reached the chamber where they had once stood guard. As he was passing by, he noticed a sharp glint in the corner next to where he had first spotted the kobolds.

Lucky me! They were guarding a chest. But wait—I’m not sure how much I’m feeling chest right now after getting stuck in this mess. Another reason to get a porter, that they can help me open it instead. Or should I find a rogue for that?

For now—Screw it. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Clay moved to open the chest before swiftly limping away. He held his now deformed shovel up, ready to defend himself.

A few moments went by with nothing happening, no matter where he looked. It was only after a full minute that he regained the courage to inch closer. Peeking inside, he found a yellow leather book sitting in it, causing him to gasp.

A skill book?

He made one last sweep around the chest, searching for traps, before carefully fetching the book out of the container.

[Rare - Summon Elemental(I): A skill that allows a mage to summon and maintain a humanoid construct with characteristics of their respective element. Requires a Mage class, 10 points in Intelligence, and 15 points in Wisdom to learn. Requirements not met to learn.]

Is—Is this a jackpot? Not only a skill book, but one for mages! I’ve never heard of this spell, not that I’ve seen a lot. Even if it’s not Earthen Wall, I can still barter it for what I need.

Clay swiftly tucked the book into his chest. The straps on the leather armor kept it snugly against him. It showed how much he didn’t want to accidentally drop on the way out.

With the last fruits of his victory over the five kobolds stowed away, he resumed his journey down the other side of the chamber. The wind could be felt in that direction, so he had a good feeling about it.

The tunnels began to narrow again after some time, with the occasional twists and turns. The wind did get stronger, but more importantly, he began hearing sounds of what he suspected to be people!

He was close; he felt it.

Limping his way further down the passageway, the sound became clearer, confirming his suspicions. As much as he wanted to call out, he had recently learned the dangers of the dungeons as well. 

From how a few experienced Delvers had accused him of being a dungeon bandit so easily, he speculated that the relationship between Delvers wasn’t all fun and rainbows. Commander Kayston had helpfully explained how law and order didn’t reach the dungeons, making it a prime location for evildoers to commit crimes.

That’s why he carefully drew closer to the voices, being mindful not to produce too much noise. However, before he could get close enough to make out their words, he was stunned by where the path had led him.

Instead of leading to the surface or even more networks of tunnels, he found himself looking down from a two-dozen-meter-high drop to a massive cavern. 

It wasn’t hopeless, though. There were strange bright mushrooms glowing on the walls, allowing him to see how the edge was sloped down, albeit somewhat steep. It wouldn’t be a gentle slide, but it was possible to slide down without dying. Regrettably, Clay was already injured, so there was an added layer of difficulty for him to get down.

As he glanced around for the perfect route down, the voices he heard grew louder. It became evident to him that whoever was calling out was approaching.

Aware of stranger danger, he opted not to go down right away. He had the perfect vantage point right now, looking over the colossal cavern so he could spy on whoever passed by. As much pain as he felt, he found it bearable for now. There was no need to rush to find help, for now.

It was a decision he could only be thankful for, as the voices were soon revealed to be frantic yelling.

“Stop running, you dirty peasant! We won’t harm you as long as you relinquish that Class Change Orb to us!”

“Fuck off! You think I’d trust the words of bloody murderers?” a man, who now came into Clay’s view, yelled back at his pursuers.

“Kid, as if that party treated you well. Who cares that they’re gone? In fact, we did you a favor. Now stop running and hand over that orb. We’ll make sure you get a cut too.”

“I don’t want any of your dirty money. On my honor, I’ll never coexist with scoundrels like you.”

“Wait up! Do you even have any idea how much we can get from that church with that? They splurge on any holy classes. That Paladin Class Change Orb is more than enough to set us all up for life, even with the split!”

The alleged criminals finally came into Clay’s view. There were a total of three people chasing the first man. All four of them were running quite slow from his perspective, likely already quite winded. It helped that he had a clear view of them from above.

The one being chased was wearing no armor or any Delver gear whatsoever, while the three pursuers were wearing chainmail and leather armor with unique designs. Anyone could tell they were Delver gear, like the sword Clay recently found.

With the situation abruptly unfolding before him, Clay was faced with choices. Should he help the man from the supposed criminals? Perhaps try to obtain the rare item the two parties were fighting over? Or should he lie low and pretend he never saw anything?

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