Is it wrong to cultivate in the dungeon?

Chapter 30

I woke up feeling the worst I’ve felt since I came to this world.I was sweaty, my mouth was dry, and I had a headache that hurt almost as badly as when I cracked my skull in the cave. Almost, the cave hurt worse, but it still was closer than it should have been.

In other words, I was hungover. Which was weird, since I really thought Qi would help me with that and let me shrug off any alcohol. 

Speaking of Qi, I immediately started circulating it around my body as I slowly sat up in the bed I was in and ignored the vertigo I felt. I managed to get into the Lotus position and started meditating properly.

The first thing I noticed was that my Qi was sluggish. Usually, it was the equivalent of an excited puppy, constantly moving around my meridians, but now it was moving at a subdued walking pace.

It wasn’t completely stopped, nor was it hard to get moving again, as it quickly resumed its speed after a couple of minutes of me nudging it and pumping in more.

No, what was strange was that there was another substance in my body. One that was slowly dissolving in the torrent of Qi I was stirring up, but it must have been there the whole night, and it definitely was the culprit in making me feel like shit.

Was it the alcohol? I haven’t drunk since I started cultivating, so I don’t have any frame of reference, but I’ll have to try it again and see if this weird substance appears again.

For now, though, I cleared it all up and felt much better. Still a bit sluggish, but nowhere near as bad as before. More like I stayed up a little too late rather than hungover.

I stopped my meditation and stretched my arms over my head as I yawned on the bed. I really need to get a bed, I’ve decided. The bench and sleeping bag were fine, but nothing beats a bed for sleep.

I should ask Cassius tomorrow where I can get a bed. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about stuff, so he might be able to hook me up.

I finished my stretch and lowered my arms, ready to hop out of bed and start my day, only to pause when I felt something around my wrists.

Blinking in confusion, I looked down and saw I had what looked like bracelets on my wrists. They were thin strips of golden metal about the width of my pinky, and I don’t remember where I got them from.

Hmm, on second thought, they look a lot like the earrings Lena was wearing last night. Did I accidentally take them? Did she even take them off? Why would I put them on as bracelets rather than earrings?

No, that doens’t make sense. I took a deep breath and circulated my Qi again, feeling my head clear up as I thought about it again.

They were clearly bracelets. Now, where the hell did I get bracelets from? 

I can’t remember. Last night was a bit of a blur. I remember Lena and Samira, and I’m pretty sure neither of them had bracelets on. Did I have another client who left them with me?

I really don’t remember at all. Whatever I was drinking last night must have been pretty strong stuff for it to make me near blackout drunk. I’ll need to drink in moderation next time.

Wait, did they take my stuff?!

I quickly checked, my hand flying to my neck and my gaze going to my hand, only to sigh in relief as my panic settled. I still had my necklace and ring that the lady gave me, so nothing was stolen despite me being a pretty easy mark.

Alright, maybe this place wasn’t as shady as I was afraid of. I took a couple of deep breaths, calmed down, and decided to finally get up and look around the room.

I slid out of bed, my feet landing on plush carpets as I realized I had taken off my boots at some point. Finding them rather easily by the side of the bed, I slid them on and looked around.

The room they put me in was very nice. A lot nicer than I thought I would get, considering I was a new employee.

The room was spacious, with a few windows that had the blinds closed shut and a large canopy bed with two nightstands on either side, each adorned with a lamp. There was a wooden wardrobe on one of the walls, a large vanity with three mirrors, plush carpet throughout the whole thing, and three doors total.

Going to one of the doors randomly, I opened it to find a bathroom that wouldn’t look out of place in my old world. There was a porcelain toilet, a bathtub large enough to fit two people, and a sink with golden faucets. The floor was tile, thankfully, as what psycho puts carpet in a bathroom?

I decided to do my morning business since I found this place before going across the room and investigating another door.

This one was a double wooden door carved with symbols of a woman in a veil. I pushed open the double doors, only to be greeted with an outside balcony and the sun low in the sky.

Wow, I didn’t even see the balcony from the street. I guess I’m on the back side of the building, and looking down, I’m on the top floor too.

Did I really climb the stairs in my drunken state last night? I don’t remember that at all, but I do vaguely remember Layla telling me where my room was, but I have no idea what exactly she said to me.

The next thing I noticed was that the sun was in the west, not the east. Meaning I had slept through nearly the whole damn day. 

That was not like me at all. The alcohol is the only culprit I could think of, and I’m realizing I’m gonna have to limit how much I have next time unless I want to waste valuable time.

Giving the setting sun one last look, swearing to not drink as much next time, I went back into the room and opened the last door.

The door predictably led me to the hallway, meaning I could finally leave. Well, I could jump from the balcony, but that would draw too much attention.

I walked down the hall, marveling at all the pictures on it, and wondered why there weren’t more rooms on this floor before chalking it up to size. The room I was in before was huge, so they probably couldn’t fit more up here. That being said, I did see three other doors in the hallway, so it wasn’t too far-fetched.

Once I got to the stairs, I headed down to the ground floor, where I spotted a few others getting ready for tonight's service. Some of them threw a glance my way, but most of them continued with their business and didn’t even look at me.

Now then, where is Layla? I need to get paid and head back…

Ah, there she is! 

I spotted her chatting with Lena at the bar area, both of them having a small cup in their hand. I was a little surprised that Lena was up before me and already drinking, but I guess she just has a better tolerance than me.

“...she gets back. Then you can do it fourth, alright?” I overheard the end of the conversation but didn’t quite catch what they were talking about.

“Hey, guys! Good morning. Well, good evening actually. How are you doing?” I said cheerfully, as I approached and gave a wave. I didn’t want to eavesdrop on them, not after they helped me out.

Layla whirled around, her face surprised. Lena just stared at me, slack-jawed.

“Leon! You’re awake!” Layla said, her voice higher than usual.

“Yep. Can’t believe I slept in so late. I usually wake up at dawn or so, but I guess whatever we were drinking last night hit me pretty hard,” I said before looking at Lena and saying, “You must have a pretty good tolerance to be up and drinking again after last night.”

Lena didn’t respond to my teasing for a moment, her face still one of shock, before her brain rebooted and she responded with, “Ah, well, I usually drink a lot. I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did, if I’m being honest.”

“I’m usually pretty good at handling alcohol. It was the first time I drank in a while, and I’ve never had the liquor we were drinking, so those are probably why I slept in so late,” I explained lightly, before following up with, “Don’t worry, next time I’m gonna be more careful with how much I drink. Still, I hope you’ll join me again.”

“Next time? So, I take that to mean you’ll come and work for us again?” Lalya jumped in, her smile wide as her earlier surprise faded.

“Sure. Still, I got to know, how much did I make last night?” I asked, remembering why I wanted to talk to her in the first place.

“Oh, yes! Hold on just a minute, I’ll go get your payment. Lena, please keep Leon company while I’m gone,” Layla said happily before rushing away, leaving Lena and me alone. Huh, deja vu.

“So, what time did you wake up this morning? You were done drinking before I was, so I’m really shocked you’re up,” I started chatting with Lena, who kept looking at Layla as she walked away before refocusing on me.

“Ah, sorry? What did you say?” Lena asked, her attitude a bit more subdued than last night.

“I said, what time did you wake up this morning?” I repeated, leaning a bit closer so she could hear me better.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Um, I woke up around nine or so. After that, I had breakfast and went to do my normal duties. I actually just got back and decided to relax with a drink before you came down. Speaking of, how did you sleep last night?” Lena said after a moment of thought.

“Like a stone. I was pretty much dead to the world. I woke up a bit slugish but I’m better now. Still, the room I was in was very nice, so I have to thank Layla for putting me up in it,” I said, smiling a bit at the memory of waking up in a bed. 

“I see. I’m glad you slept through the night then. I seem to always wake up once or twice when I drink, but it’s good you didn’t. Still, you said that the alcohol affected you. Do you remember last night?” Lena said with a small smile before it turned apprehensive as she asked me about my memory.

“Yep, I remember us talking about what was bugging you and drinking all your worries away. It was very fun, I hope we can do it again sometime,” I said happily, truly meaning it.

It brought a wave of nostalgia from back when my friends and I would all drink and complain about whatever was bugging us back then. Usually, it was silly things in retrospect, but they felt important at the time. 

The thought I had before bed last night resurfaced as I reminisced. I missed my friends. I’m probably never going to stop missing them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make new ones.

I’ve mostly just holed up in the church or dove into the dungeon and avoided everyone out of fear of them finding out I wasn’t blessed. And while I don’t plan to interact with gods anytime soon, the blessed that I’ve met so far have been friendly and helpful.

Meteria, Cassius, Layla, Lena, and even Naaza at Miach’s shop, and that blue-haired girl at the gate, Adi, I think. They were all helpful and friendly, with none of them really giving me bad vibes.

Maybe it’s time I start going out a bit more and trying to interact with people. And there seems ot be someone that would be a good fit for that right in front of me. I looked at Lena again, really taking in her face before nodding. Yep, let’s try this out. 

“If anything, I want to be friends outside of my work. Of course, please visit me when I am working in the future, but I still want to go out with you,” I said sincerely. 

“Eh? G-go out with me?” She said, startled, her face turning a slight shade of red. Funny, she was a lot more outgoing last night. 

Wait, that was only after she got alcohol in her system. Before, she was just as shy as now, I think.

“Yep, for like drinks and stuff. Maybe get some food. I don’t really know any food places, so you’ll have to show me around, but I do want to spend some more time and get to know you better,” I explained. Step one of being friends, get to know them by hanging out and talking.

“I-I-I uh, wait, with me?! Really!? Not with Layla or Ai- I mean, anyone else?” Lena said, flustered as she pointed at herself.

“There’s no one else around, is there?” I said, looking around in mock confusion before focusing on her again.

“So, what do you say?” I pressed, feeling somewhat nervous as I realized I was facing rejection for the first time in a while. I wasn’t a socially awkward person, but it was mildly nerve-racking asking someone to go hang out after so long.

“I–I uh, I-I–” She kept stuttering for a moment before finally she clenched her fist and looked me straight in the eyes. After a few seconds of her staring at me, she gave a firm nod.

“Yes, I would like that too,” She said finally, her voice quiet, but firm all the same.

Hell yeah! Friend, acquire. Now, let’s ask Meteria next time I see her. And depending on how dungeon crawling goes with Cassius, he too.

“Oh my, what’s happening over here? Did something good happen, Lena?” Layla’s voice broke through the moment as she walked over and held up a pouch of Valis to me.

“I hope she kept you company, Leon. Still, I think she forgot to do something, right? Why don’t you go get that taken care of?” Layla said with a smile before nudging Lena.

Lena’s face dropped for a moment, her smile fading and her eyes widening before she nodded and said, “R-right. That’s for reminding me, Layla. I’ll see you later, Leon.”

She waved goodbye as she left. I gave a small wave as well, though I wonder what she needed to do? Also, why did Layla remind her? I guess they are friends, which makes sense since Lena is a frequent customer here.

“Sorry about that, Leon. She’s kind of a clutz sometimes and forgets about her job. I have to remind her; otherwise, who knows what would happen. Anyway, here’s your payment for last night,” Layla said with a shrug of ‘what can you do’ before handing me a heavy coin purse. 

Looking inside, it was definitely more than what I thought it would be and more than what Layla told me about at the village.

“Wow, this is a lot! Not that I’m complaining, but why is it so much?” I asked in disbelief as I took the purse.

“Well, you drank a lot of the special drink we prepared last night, so that’s a good payout based on commission. Combine that with everyone being very happy with your service, and you get that!” Lalya said cheerfully.

The ‘that’ in question was about one hundred thousand Valis, a absoultey bonkera mount compared to what was initially promised to me. 

“So, you’ll come back, right?” Layla said, hopefully, to which I nodded a little dumbstruck.

“Yeah, I’ll come back! If I can make even a quarter of this every night, then I’ll be a happy camper. Thanks, Layla,” I said excitedly, thoughts of not having to worry about money troubles and spending it on some basic luxuries like a bed or more clothes came to mind.

“That’s great! Then, you’ll work tonight? Lena will probably request you again. And I might steal a drink or two from you myself,” Layla said with a wink and a smile that promised a good time.

“I’m sorry, I have something to do tomorrow, and I can’t afford to be late. But I’ll come back another day, and then we can drink together. Deal?” I said apologetically, but held firm in my belief it was a bad idea to work two nights in a row.

One, I’m not sure my body will handle the alcohol consumption well, and two, I have an appointment to meet with Cassius tomorrow, and I don’t want to be late to that.

So, despite the money calling my name and Layla seeming like a fun drunk to be around, other responsibilities call my name.

“I see… That’s very unfortunate,” She said, her smile turning a little strained before she regained her momentum, “Then, promise me that you’ll come back and we can have some fun together, okay?”

“Yes, I promise,” I said happily before an idea struck me, and I held out my pinky finger. Layla looked at it for a moment, puzzled, before her eyes lit up in recognition, and she held out her own pinky finger and wrapped it around mine.

“I’ll see you soon then. Stay safe, Leon. Don’t let anybody else get to you, especially since you’re mine now,” She said with a teasing grin that caught me off guard before I nodded.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get snatched up by any other jobs. This one is too good to pass up. I’ll see you later. Have a goodnight, Layla. And tell Lena not to drink so much, it’s bad for her liver,” I said as I turned to leave and waved over my shoulder.

“I will! Remember, you absolutely must come back! I’ll be very cross otherwise!” She called out behind me, to which I just giggled and rolled my eyes in response.

After that, I left the entertainment district rather quickly, avoiding the other seedier establishments before arriving back at the church a little after dark.

I quickly went out back to water and inject my herbs with some Qi before going back into the church and deciding to meditate a bit.

It was only then, as I got situated, that two things occurred to me. One, I had forgotten to take off the bracelets I had woken up with, and two, the conversation I had with Samira resurfaced in my mind as I remembered what I was trying to remember back then.

For the first one, I just made a mental note to return them later, but I kept them on for now. I kinda liked the fashion if I’m being honest. It worked shockingly well with my outfit and added a nice flair to it.

As for the second thought, I remember Bruce Lee said to be like water when doing martial arts, and Samira talking about counterattacking reminded me of his quote. Now, I don’t remember the exact quote, but I think the general idea was to be adaptable like water and never be too rigid.

And that gave me a very interesting idea. 

What I was cultivating was the elements, water included. I could infuse said element into my very being and use it to damage my surroundings, albeit with very limited results right now.

But, later, when I’m stronger? When have I cultivated to the point of mastering the elements? That’s when my elemental attacks would be the strongest. And I have a feeling, they would play a big part in my progress going forward.

So, my idea is simple. I’ve been struggling with a martial arts style, feeling like I was missing something to bring everything together. And I think the element stuff is just what I need.

I plan to develop a different stance for each of the elements, and then switch between those basic stances to counter anything my opponent throws at me. So, if an opponent is using fire stance, then I use water stance since water counters fire.

As for what those stances would actually entail? That’s where I'm gonna need to work everything out, but I have a few basic ideas that need to be tested.

Taking the example of fire and water stances, fire stance would be a fast-paced, aggressive attack style, while water stance would be more focused on counterattacks and deflections.

What was more perfect for taking down an overly aggressive opponent than to use that aggression and turn it back on them? 

I don’t know, but it sounds good in theory. And that’s all this was gonna be for a while, since this is gonna take time. Like a lot of time and a lot of fighting different opponents to really get everything sorted out.

Still, the best thing to do to get started is to just try it out. I was still a bundle of energy since I slept so late, so I could afford ot sta up a little later before going to bed. 

Hence, I stepped outside into the little garden behind the church and started practicing the different foundations and moves for each stance.

As I moved, I thought about tomorrow and how I couldn’t wait to try this stuff out in the dungeon. Cassius better be prepared, cause I’m gonna knock his socks off.

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Yay! All done.

I’m posting this when it’s still the last day of February for me, so what I said in my last post counts! I didn’t lie!

Anyway, Leon makes a promise with the Ishtar ladies and gets an idea, money, and a souvenir from them. But at what cost? Oooohhhh~~

A smaller transition chapter before we go dungeon diving next time, and Leon gets a taste of what everyone else’s lives are like. Let’s just say, it's going to be quite jarring for him when he realizes that.

But that’s all from me for now. Let me know what y’all think about the scenes with the Ishtar ladies, and how they read. I’m trying to balance everything out, and I feel like I might be a bit too heavy-handed, so your feedback is appreciated.

Until next time, friends!