The Gift of Loot Chapter 36: Chapter 36: An "Easy" Dungeon Dive

Read chapter 36 of The Gift of Loot by Jack_Golightly on NovelPedia.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Thomas's mom, Sue, asked for about the hundredth time. She leaned forward and gazed with the utmost skepticism at the green and brown shimmering dungeon entrance. "I've seen videos, you know. People die from these things." "If you've seen videos of inside the dungeon, then they were made up in a studio or with AI," Thomas's father, Peter, said flatly. "No higher technology is allowed in the dungeon. That means no cameras." Thomas traded a slightly exasperated look with the dungeon guard. They had ten minutes to enter the instance, and Thomas's mother had been waffling for four of those minutes. It didn't sound long until you had a line full of people staring at your back, probably wondering why two elderly boomers were going in in the first place. "Mom," he said with forced patience. "It's safe, and I'll be with you every step of the way. You read the guide I gave you, right?" "I was never too good with tests," she muttered. Peter put a hand on her shoulder. "It's now or never." "Healing crystals won't work on you until you enter a dungeon," Thomas reminded her. That little factoid had been filtered through the media over the last few days, probably because it encouraged reluctant people to try out the dungeons for the first time. Some countries were even instituting mandatory dungeon entrance for newborn babies. A nurse, close family friend, or religious leader, depending on preference, would take a swaddled newborn quickly into a level one dungeon and then directly out again. It wouldn't unlock the child's Gift, as they would have to be 15 years old. But the simple act of passing through and back out again was enough to make healing crystals work on them. Sue's chin trembled slightly, but she had been taking pain pills for increasing arthritis problems for years, and the promise of being pain-free without aid finally overrode her fear. Clasping her husband's hand, they both strode through the Vegetable Greenhouse dungeon entrance. "Finally," Thomas heard someone say from further back in line. Thomas turned, flipped the man off, then followed his parents in... where he almost immediately crashed into the back of his dad. "Is this the dungeon?" Peter asked, proving that he had not read the dungeon guide at all. "This is just the safe room," Thomas said, already feeling a little exasperated. "The dungeon itself is through that door. You ready?" Peter shifted his grip on the maul Thomas had given him, which had been a brand new purchase from the local Ace Hardware. Thomas had even tied a red ribbon around the handle. His mother was armed with a shovel. Yes, it looked ridiculous, but he knew that if he gave his mother an actual weapon, she would not come within two hundred feet of the dungeon entrance. His parents had the exact opposite problem from Ashton: he had to show them that a dungeon could be survivable. "There's a cabbage monster about five feet from the door," Thomas coached his father. "Just swing down on it. It won't hurt you unless you actually step on it." "Be careful," Sue commanded Peter as he opened the door. It was funny seeing how stunned his parents looked as they came out into the dungeon. It was a large enclosure with green-tinted greenhouse glass off in the distance. His mother, who was an avid gardener, made a little sound of appreciation. "There it is," his father hissed, spying the killer cabbage. It wasn't hard to spot: this was an easy level one dungeon, and the cabbage made no effort to hide itself. Cautiously, Peter raised his maul. "Do I just sneak up on it?" "No, it has no feet to run off," replied Thomas, amused. "Go to town." With a fairly impressive war cry, his father brought down the blade side of the maul in a single chop, and the cabbage was no more. "Good job." Thomas gave his best golf clap. "That was enough to unlock your Gift." His father was breathing heavily, though he wasn't wheezing, so he was nowhere near the danger zone. "That's it?" He frowned. "It