Chapter 2327 Steel Ball Run

--- Kat ---

Wiggles was well behaved for the meal and didn’t even fight when being put back into the stone cube. Oh he moved a bit, likely to give himself some room inside it to move his feet around and get comfortable, but in the end it was a painless process. Kat would’ve bet he’d at least try to make a break for it. Perhaps he was hoping one of the twins would find him? Assuming they were even still in the tournament.

Appoline finished packing up the equipment and said, "Alright that’s a good few brews. I can go over the whole list but the main one is more of the stuff for my breathing, quite a few offensive potions for varying effects, and I’ve got something for the cold. Should mean that as we go up I don’t start to freeze my ears off."

"That’s good. I hadn’t really considered that angle, at least, not any further," commented Kat.

"Yeah well, considering where I lived before we’ve got centuries of research on what makes the best potion for dealing with the chill. I could probably whip up a mediocre one from dirt and a good glare," bragged Appoline, and it clearly had some truth to it because her eyes weren’t triggering. Sure they didn’t normally trigger for jokes or obvious hyperbole... but there did tend to be a bit of something if you were focusing and she certainly was here.

"Yeah well, thought it was time I made some just in case. I do have a few still left over from before we got here but that’s not enough forever, so I topped my supplies up a bit." Appoline shrugged. "I can go over everything if you want but it was a lot, I got through a bunch of the quicker brews and I had like... what was it two hours for them?"

Kat nodded. Appoline had taken out three cauldrons, it was why Kat had been feeding the crazy elf. One of them was a lot smaller than ’standard’ size, but two full sized cauldrons was a LOT of potion. Considering how fast Appoline could brew when she really wanted to, and that the more unstable potions meant for their immediate attacking effects were really quick to make? It made sense she had a stockpile now.

"Nah it’s fine," confirmed Kat. "I mean, tell us if you think something in specific is important of course but otherwise," Kat left it with a shrug, to which Appoline nodded. The system had worked well so far anyway.

Sure technically it might be better to know all of the options, to either better advise Appoline during fights, or to know to ask for some specific solution outside of them... but frankly? Appoline seemed to have everything they ever needed already. Sure she’d been stuck a time or two, or even needed to brew more potions... but still the idea she had everything persisted which really just told you how good her potions were. At least, that’s how Kat saw it.

So she didn’t ask at all, simply nodding at Appoline and then heading into the caverns below. They picked the largest opening they could easily spot and hoped that was a signal that it was the correct way. This would prove to quickly be a mistake because just a mere two minutes later they ended up at a dead end. Fun times.

Several other large tunnels they checked not long after all had the same issue, leading towards dead ends. It was getting sort of ridiculous. Kat was now looking at the smaller holes and wondering... if they were perhaps the answer instead. The issue was just how many of them there were and the fact that, really, it would be a pain to move through them and a much, much harder fight.

For two members of the party anyway. By the time they came to the realisation that the smaller tunnels were necessary, Lily had already volunteered to head off by herself. This time, it would be Kat staying back to guard Appoline, and hold onto Wiggles while Lily went inside the tunnels by herself. Kat gave her a kiss, and wished her luck.

--- Lily ---

[Dooo, be doo be doo ba...]

*Is the spy theme really the correct one to be playing at the moment? I’ve not even found the monsters... which is weird because I keep hearing them. Still, really not sneaking around here. I also take up like... sixty percent of the tunnel? I can’t exactly hide in the shadows or around corners in this sort of environment.*

[I was thinking of it more like a vent scene, and I’m mostly just occupying myself. Appoline is back to brewing of course, and I have a strange urge to play poker with the rabbit.]

*Why don’t you?*

[Don’t have any cards.]

*Didn’t we have some before?*

[Well there was the set back at the city but those were Steel’s... I think? Maybe Hedera’s. The ones we owned are still back in that other ring. You know, for the basics we wanted to keep around just in case? Never thought the tournament would have enough downtime to justify wasting that extra bit of space. Probably should’ve asked for a set from Steel though now I’m thinking of it.]

*Yeah per-* The wall exploded, cutting off her train of thought as an iron ball rolled through the wall. It didn’t even look alive. Completely smooth with a metallic sheen, there was no sign of intelligence in its eyes... because it didn’t seem to have any. Lily lashed out, shadow covered claw slamming into the orb and sending it flying away while damaging her hand a bit. Apparently it had been spinning fast enough for that. Wincing a bit, her paw felt a bit raw like gravel rash, though it wasn’t bleeding.

The simply buried through the wall Lily had slapped it towards, continuing on as if it hadn’t been attacked. It didn’t seem... anything. Lily wasn’t sure it was even a monster at this point. There was just such little reaction, and give. Sure golems existed, but this was beyond even that. It was literally just a metal ball.

Lily eyed the hole critically. It wasn’t closing back up... and that thing had been pretty fast. *Kat I think shenanigans are happening.*

[In what way? I’m sure there are some, but you seem to have an idea in mind...]

*The island. That metal ball was fast, and I can hear a whole bunch of them underground. I thought they were monsters of some kind, and I guess that’s still possible... but they move too fast. This place might have enough holes, but only for like... a few days’ of work at most. We know for a FACT that they should’ve been around longer.

Even if they only started moving once the middle opened back up, which I’m not necessarily arguing for, we know it’s been at LEAST three and the mountain here is FAR too intact considering the timeline.*

[Hmmm... yeah alright I see the point. What are you suggesting? Are they ramping up... or something else?]

*I’m not sure yet. Two big ideas stick in my head. The first is that the area here is on a time loop. Not sure how long, but I’d bet a good few hours... and we’ve already been here for quite some time. I’d be worried about sticking around too long in case we get reset at some point... or worse the island does and we don’t, leaving us floating over somewhere.

The alternative, is that perhaps the balls are coming from somewhere else... say, for example, through the portal? I’m not sure why someone would be sending them to do whatever it is they’re doing. Collecting dirt maybe? If that’s the case though... why? Like, what do they need the dirt for? I just don’t know...*

[Hmm... with Thyme I get why you went to the timeloop idea first... I guess my knew question is will you sense it before it happens?]

*Yeah... in the strictest sense. Looping time like that means messing with space and so, a moment or two before it goes down I’ll notice... but that’s it. Even if I was right next to you I don’t know if we’d have time to react.*

[Hmmm... I guess we’ll just make sure to hang out next to the portal just in case. Are you going to keep looking?]

*Yeah, because the chance that somebody sent these here for some reason is also possible. I’m feeling less and less like they’re monster... and if they’re not monsters? That means they were created. Though I guess the real question is if the creator is still around or not. That part is a heck of a lot less clear.*

[Alright well, you handled the first one just fine so I’m not going to say too much... just... do your best.]

*What sort of a weak response is that? Do your best. Ha, sure. I’ll make sure to do my best. Let’s see if I can find anything interesting...*