True Dungeon Diver’s level increased every time I completed a dungeon. Every job seemed to have two ways to gain experience. The standard way was to fight and kill monsters. That worked for Adventurers and people like me, but the average person didn’t go around killing monsters very often. For that reason, leveling could also be gained a different way. For cooks, levels increased when you cooked. For Alchemists, levels increased when you did alchemy. For Dungeon Divers, it looked like Dungeon Diver increased when you defeated a dungeon. No, actually, it seemed specific to when you completed a dungeon’s lore. I supposed I’d just get standard Dungeon Diver experience if I beat the dungeon the easy way.

Anyway, this dungeon that was weak and desiccated did not net me very many points at all. I only earned two compared to five with the baby dungeon. I wasn’t even sure if I had anything worth using them on. I didn’t see any new skills added to the list either. This was truly a dead dungeon. Well… it was true that I had managed this in only two days. The previous dungeons took weeks to defeat. My time invested in all of this was quite small. Then again, when it came to danger, I didn’t feel like my life was in any less jeopardy. There really needed to be a safer way of going down dungeons and leveling without constantly putting my life on the line.

The best thing about my new curse… ahem… I mean blessing, was that it allowed transportation out of dungeons. I was pretty sure that meant I could portal to and from dungeons now. Return also should work. That meant that a lot of my future dungeon interactions would be a lot less desperate from what they used to be.

Feeling a bit of relief, I made a fire and cooked. I did a quick switch with Celeste just to make sure she was okay. She had escaped splendidly. I did seriously worry switching with Celeste that she was up in the air somewhere. Unlike with portal, I really could fall to my death if I switched with her at the wrong time. However, thankfully, she was close to the ground.

As for Salicia, I didn’t really know. I used Sense life and she wasn’t waiting on the outside of the cave for me. She probably didn’t think we were still in here after I snatched Carmine from her. Well, I didn’t want to return, so I decided everyone could rest in here a day until my portal spell returned. Tomorrow morning, we’d teleport to a spot on the road and then continue to the Capitol. As for Carmine, she woke up after I got the food cooking.

“Yo-you…” her eyes widened, looking around with fear.

“Don’t worry…” I said, pouring out bowls of rice and meat for everyone. “You’re safe from your sister.”

She shivered. “Th-thank you. My sister has been… a siscon, for as long as I knew her.”

“She thinks you have been brainwashed by the church,” I said frankly.

Carmine blinked. “Sh-she has said things like that before. Just because I followed a different path than her, she thinks she knows me. She’d probably try to brainwash me herself if she could.”

I nodded. I thought it might be something like that. Carmine was raised by the church. You could call it brainwashing if you wanted, but anyone who was raised a certain way would possess certain values. That was just called being human. She would, of course, believe in the church that took care of her.

“That clockwork dragon was out of control,” I said. “The paladins back in the day lost control of it. Maybe they meant to attack that city, I don’t know, but they still lost control of it. You did as well.”

Carmine looked over at the dead hulking creature still mostly buried in rock and then lowered her head. “Yes, it would seem the church has some things to answer for. I will start an inquisition as soon as I return to the Capitol.”

“If you need a witness, I’m heading the Capitol myself.”

She looked up, her mouth slightly open. “You… you’d do that? After everything? You don’t resent me? The church?”

“I’m not happy you betrayed us, but to be fair, we barely know each other. You had no reason to trust me either, and I just as easily could have been after the guardian’s power as you. As for the church, they sound like a powerful entity in the land. I have no desire to cross them. I’m actually helping you with the hope that the church doesn’t hold me personally accountable for destroying their dragon.”

“Ah…” She said, closing her eyes and nodding. “Yes… the dragon was out of control. Plus, it was the Bandit King who collapsed this cave. You don’t need to worry.”

I had hoped as much. There was no reason to make the church the bad guys. I’m sure there was corruption in the church, but there were corrupt nobles too. I had met one of them. Simply put, it was better to be upfront and hope for the best than cloak and dagger and be constantly looking over your shoulder.