It’s Time to Get High in a Dungeon

Much to the pair’s chagrin, they had to end their impromptu make-out session sooner than they would have liked. Despite their bodies’ aching for it, neither wanted to risk the possibility of being caught red-handed in a scandalously lewd position any further. They were in the Brightons’ own household after all. They slunk out of the room hurriedly as they were late for John’s appointment with Lorelei.

Moira led the way, and thank god for that too. It felt like the Brighton Manor was even bigger inside than its vast exterior would suggest. Its corridors were by no means maze-like, but the sheer number of rooms that lined the furnished hallways would have made it a nightmare to find a specific one had John not been guided.

As it turned out, Lorelei preferred a room in the cellars as opposed to being clustered with the other important guests of the Brighton’s near John’s temporary room. John and Moira didn’t talk much on the way to the seer’s room, mostly because what they wanted to discuss was intensely private and not at all appropriate for the ears of others. So instead, John spent the small walk across the manor checking his latest notifications.

Achievement unlocked: Ginger Justice
You entered into a romantic relationship with Moira Brighton. Glad to see you’re branching out from wolf-girls and adding a Tsundere Paladin to your budding menagerie.
+1 Charisma
+1 Strength
+500 EXP

‘Budding menagerie?’ he repeated to himself, not exactly liking the term. He wasn’t just collecting girls, they were people he genuinely wanted to be around and connect to. The sex was just a bonus, albeit a damn nice one. In any case, any improvement to his stats was a plus so he just brushed aside the usual sass.

Aside from the achievement, he also had a new quest. An interesting one at that:

John’s eyes bugged slightly as he read over the bonus rewards. One million experience points would net him a ton of levels now. It was a pity, then, that he’d have to wait 18 years for the reward. ’By then it probably won’t mean much given the rate at which the EXP required to level up increases,’ he figured. ‘Who knows, maybe being called daddy for a night is the real reward?’ John let out an involuntary shiver as he sounded the word in his mind. ‘Yeah, no, I’d rather keep that word uncontaminated and reserved for my children,’ he decided.

“We’re almost there,” Moira spoke up, jostling John from his thoughts.

They had wound their way down to the basement level of the manor. It was far better kept than your usual cellar. Where John had expected a dungeon, he instead found a clean and furnished extension of the manor above. A deep crimson carpet travelled along the wooden floor of the hallway while the walls were lined with sconces that kept the place brightly lit and paintings that added an array of colours. The hall connected to several doors, a few of which were open. Through one open door he saw a cozy little barracks where a few of the off-duty knights lounged around or socialised over various games like pool or darts. There was even a bar in one corner of the room with a sizeable amount of liquor behind the counter. Another room had several dozen antique weapons and suits of armour on display, while another was simply the bathroom, which had been left open while the maids cleaned it.

They stopped at a room at the end of the hall. A nametag had been bolted to the woodwork of the door in both English and braille. “This is Lorelei’s room,” Moira stated unnecessarily before knocking.

There was a small pause before the seer gently opened the door. “Good evening, my Lady Warden,” she bowed pleasantly.

“You know I hate it when you’re formal with me,” Moira complained.

“It is best we follow formalities in the presence of guests, my Lady,” the seer replied before turning to John. “I hope you are well, Mr. Newman.”

John smiled at her despite knowing she could not see it. Something about her soft spoken and polite demeanour was greatly calming. “I’m fine, thank you, Miss Varnik. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

“John’s not a stranger…” Moira grumbled.

“I suppose not…” the seer paused as a faint smile crept on her soft complexion. “Given what my visions have told me.”

A blush immediately bloomed on the Warden’s face and her posture became more guarded. “S-say what exactly?”

The seer’s smile widened still as she stepped aside to let them into her chambers. “Please, come inside. I understand that you have need of my services, Mr. Newman,” she said, avoiding Moira’s question.

“That’s right,” John agreed as he stepped inside.

Lorelei’s room was spartan in almost every way. It was dark in the room, with the only light in the room originating from a circle of scented candles — large enough for two people to fit inside — on the cold, wooden floor. The exact scents were hard to place. The best he could identify was some sort of berry. Red could probably have told him exactly what he could smell. A small, twin sized bed had been pressed into the corner of the room, with a small chest tucked underneath the frame. A single wardrobe sat against the wall at the foot of the bed.

“Forgive me if the room is too dark,” the seer apologised softly. “There is a light switch by the door if you need it.”

“It’s fine,” John replied lightly. “It’s not like there’s much to trip on in here anyway.”

“I suppose not,” the seer stifled a laugh. “In any case, I must know what exactly you need of me.”

“I need to find people…” John explained. “A girl named Emelia and a few of her friends. Well, I want to find their souls, really. I already know where their bodies are. Are you able to do that?”

“I can indeed help you with such a thing,” Lorelei acknowledged. “Please, sit within the circle if you would.”

John obliged her, carefully stepping over the candles to sit cross-legged on the inside perimeter of the circle. Despite her blindness, the seer moved confidently through the room to the small chest under the bed. There was a slight screech of friction between wood and wood as she pulled the chest out and opened it before producing an incense burner about the size of a watermelon and a small pouch.

The seer then joined him within the circle, placing the incense burner between them and taking a pinch of some mix of herbs, spices, and who knows what else to place within the burner. “I apologise, dear, you will have to wait for us to finish here,” the seer spoke aloud. It took John a moment to realise Lorelei was addressing Moira as she never turned to face her.

“That’s fine,” Moira replied. “I’m happy to just watch.”

Lorelei dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. “Do you have anything belonging to these people?” She was definitely addressing him again.

“I have a few strands of Emelia’s hair,” John replied, conjuring from his inventory the hair he’d snipped off her **** form.

“That will suffice,” the seer replied calmly. “Would you please place her hair within the incense burner?”

“Sure,” John replied, doing as she’d asked. “Done.”

“Thank you,” the seer closed the central compartment of the burner before quietly lighting it with a small incantation. “I need you to close your eyes and relax,” Lorelei spoke softly as she gently took his hands so that their palms were touching. A thick plume of smoke with a faint blue hue began to rise from the burner, causing John’s skin to tingle when it met his face. “Now breathe deeply through your nose,” the seer instructed. “This cloud will allow us to temporarily traverse the Astral Plane,” the calm voice of Lorelei reached his ears from somewhere far away.

John inhaled, once again finding it difficult to place exactly what he was smelling. But it was nice. He felt a pleasant warmth building within his sinuses with every breath he took. The warmth steadily spread deep into his body, giving him the sensation of pins and needles wherever it spread to. “Now open your eyes.”

John’s eyes fluttered open. He was floating now. A wispy blue vapor clung to his skin and clothes, blurring the line between physical form and the expansive sea of deep cobalt surrounding him. He felt nothing save for a slight tingle in his palms. The numbness was unsettling.

Achievement Unlocked: Astral High
Enter the Astral Plane for the first time. Just make sure you find a way back to your body or you’ll just end up as star matter for some god to munch on for their afternoon snack.
+1 Wis
+1000 EXP

Aside from letting John know that he’d arrived, the achievement told him that his powers still worked. Which was great because he felt uncomfortably **** in his current wispy state.

Still holding his hands, the indistinct outline of Lorelei shifted closer to him. “We have arrived, John.”

He didn’t hear Lorelei’s words so much as feel them. As if through holding each other they could communicate their thoughts and feelings directly and were liberated from words and expressions. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to directly arrive at the location of Emelia’s soul. We will have to search a bit.”

“Meaning?”

“We will have to relive your memories of her,” the seer explained. “With it, the plane can perhaps guide us to her.”

“Guide us? Is the plane sapient?”

“In a sense. The Astral Sea is the collective **** of every being. Your memories will resonate with others, but most importantly, her own.”

“Alright,” John squirmed uncomfortably. His body felt only numbness, leaving him with a longing to be in his own skin again. “Whatever I need to do.”

“There is one last thing you must know,” the seer warned. “You must hold onto me else we be separated. The fortitude and sight granted to me by the Lady allow me to navigate this plane, but you risk being swallowed by the Astral Sea should we separate.”

“That… doesn’t sound very pleasant,” John mused.

“Not at all,” Lorelei confirmed. “You will be lost and ****, left to float aimlessly in the endless sea of Astral Plane until you’re either consumed entirely or somehow find a suitable host. I could perhaps find you… but it would take me time to recover from this trip alone.”

“Do not worry, I have no plans on letting go,” John laughed in what little capacity his smokey form could.

“Then we should not waste any more time,” Lorelei continued.