Chilly stumbled down the shallow incline leading into Sooty’s Hell. The penguins around him fanned out, filling up the large cavern and exploring the fountains of lava around the space.

Chilly approached the Ashen Smith, and flopped to the floor with an exhausted sigh, making sure to stay out of Star Fuel’s range so as not to hurt the headless man. Beside him Sooty continued to hammer on his misshapen lump of iron. It was difficult to tell without a face, but he seemed to turn his upper body curiously towards Chilly, though he waited patiently for Chilly to initiate the conversation.

Chilly sighed again, “I couldn't do it.”

[I see, young adventurer,] Sooty signed, [I would hope that this does not mark the end of your mettle. I see you gained a level. That would certainly make future attempts easier.]

Chilly turned to the penguins beside him.

Peregrine the penguin said, “Try again?”

Chilly barked out a laugh, “Yeah, I'm sure I'll be able to succeed in the next go around. The dungeon reset snuck up on me.”

[It is but the curse of this place,] Sooty signed.

The penguins considered, but didn't translate that sentence. Chilly sat at an uncomfortable distance from the smith as he listened to him work. Despite the high pitch clinks of the hammer on the iron, there was a soothing quality to it. Repetitive. Consistent in a way.

“I didn't have enough damage, you know,” Chilly said. “I managed to take down both the Chrain and the Voidling, but the Juggernaut in Black Rock Mountain barely felt my attacks.”

[Indeed,] Sooty signed, [I believe I warned you specifically of this eventuality. Wielding dual shields will do that to you.]

“Shields weak,” the penguin translated.

“Yes, I'm seeing that now,” Chilly said. “Though I don't think I would have survived either of the first two encounters without the shields.”

[A conundrum, young adventurer,] Sooty signed. [I recall that back in my day, adventurers would carry multiple sets of weapons, so that they could better prepare for the precise threat that they encountered.]

“Many sets.”

“Switch as needed.”

“Sure,” Chilly said. “I guess I haven't been here long enough to find several sets of gear that I can switch between. All I have is what I’ve got on me. I've been leveling too fast for the low level weapons back in the Mausoleum to work well anymore, and I haven't found any higher level weapons yet, or crafting lecterns that I can use to upgrade the level of a weapon to 10 or 11. You won't happen to know where I can find such things do you?”

[The lieutenants of the Hellbringer should drop level 11 weaponry, if you slay them enough.] Sooty signed. [I see that they dropped boots and gloves for you this time. Perhaps if you slay them again, you will be lucky enough to acquire a usable weapon.]

“Sub-bosses drop,” Peregrine translated.

“Mhmm,” Chilly said. “I guess now that the dungeon is reset I can go back and farm them. Not yet though, I think I'll take a nap before I go out again.”

[I recommend you travel down the tunnel to the holy parish to rest. I apologize for the ash. it is not something I am able to control.]

“Sleep there,” Poidude translated, pointing towards the tunnel to the Holy Parish.

“Ash in the air,” Nobody added.

“Sorry,” Noomplet finished.

“About that,” Chilly said. “Would you mind if I killed you again for more experience?”

At that, Sooty paused his hammering and turned to fully face him. Without a head it was hard to tell, but Chilly imagined the smith with a dissatisfied frown.

[I'm afraid not, young adventure,] Sooty signed. [I believe I have granted you with sufficient assistance on your side of the bargain. If you are somehow dissatisfied, then you are welcome to continue exploring the rest of this crypt at your leisure.]

The Ashen Smith gestured pointedly at the iron bracelet wrapped around Chilly's wrist. Then he returned to hammering at the iron bar.

“No,” Peregrine translated succinctly.

“Yep, got it,” Chilly said, looking at the bracelet on his wrist. It somehow seemed far heavier now than it had before. He shook off the dark thought. It was ridiculous. He hadn't failed, this was just a setback. If anything it would have been more surprising if he had managed to take down each of the guardians and the final boss in one go. At worst this was just a minor delay. He needed to focus back on the task at hand. There was much he could ask Sooty the Smith before he set out again.

“By your estimation do you think I would be able to take down the Juggernaut with a level 11 weapon?” Chilly asked.

Sooty paused his incessant hammering and looked closer at Chilly. A wave of glowing cinders shook off his shoulders and joined the rest of the ash in the air.

[What is the maximum amount of damage you can deal per second?] Sooty signed.

“Damage?” Poidude translated. Beside it, a Noomplet turned its version of Realm Walker into a flickering torch, while Nobody morphed its sword into a cape that floated in a non-existent breeze, despite being composed of wood.

“I have two skills that mainly do damage. Both deal around two fifty fire damage per second, though I do have access to scorch. So around three hundred damage for each? About. This is with all my damage augments by the way.” Chilly said.

The Ashen Smith seemed to consider for a moment. His free hand lifted up as if to scratch its head, then fell dejectedly before reaching its goal.

[It is possible.] He signed, [The weapon would need to be nearly perfectly rolled however. It would be easier if you were level 12, or better yet level 13. I am not sure what the rest of your abilities do, but your next skill threshold is in only a single level. Perhaps you can choose a skill which increases your damage.]

Chilly turned to the penguins.

They considered, then Nobody stepped forward.

“Possible. Expensive. Easier at 13.” It translated, holding its flipper out and rotating it in a so-so gesture.

“And with two level 11 weapons?” Chilly asked Sooty.

[Possible now,] he signed.

“Easy,” Noomplet translated.

So it's possible, he thought. It would require a significant amount of luck. He had yet to get a weapon from either of the two sub bosses, and with his current luck he was more likely to get another pair of boots or a helmet than a weapon. The chances of getting two weapons were slim at best, especially since he could only get two items per reset. In other words, it was possible, but it might take a half dozen resets if he got unlucky.

I'd still have to craft them, he thought. Unless he didn't.

He turned to the Ashen Smith. “Could you craft the weapons for me?”

Before he had even finished speaking Sooty was shaking his upper body in rejection.

[Your essences would go as far as mine, young adventure. I am sure you will be more than capable of crafting your own weaponry with those essences that you've collected over there.]

“No, you.” Peregrine said then pointed at the pile of essences.

Chilly gave the penguin a sour look. There was definitely something getting lost in translation.

Whatever, I need a backup plan, Chilly thought. The easiest way would just be to leave. Go explore other sections of the dungeon, collecting levels and better gear, and return when he was ready. At levels 13 or higher the Juggernaut would be trivial, even without a good weapon. On the other hand he would be saddled with the level 7 bracelet that didn’t have an essence Vault. Something he was dearly missing.

It also seemed a little rude to just leave Sooty to his fate.

He's been here for a thousand years, he can wait a couple more days. Chilly snorted to himself. Still, it felt wrong. It was perhaps not the most rational, but Chilly liked the Smith. Unlike the other things he had met in the dungeon, Sooty was at least coherent, even without a head, and wasn’t actively trying to kill him. He wanted to do good by him.

So what should I do next? he thought. The simplest thing was to get to level 11 and get another skill that does damage. That should be easy. If he recalled correctly there were plenty of level 10 enemies in the abyss. He could also challenge the Undying Flame and the Void’s Last Embrace for an extra four points of experience. That meant that he would only need a single level 10 enemy.

I don't like it, Chilly thought. Too many things could go wrong in this scenario. The most obvious was that he wouldn't be offered a damaging skill. Or worse, he’d be giving up a potentially better skill by locking into a damaging one. It would be ridiculous to sacrifice his long term strength just for a temporary boost in power which could be mimicked by leveling up a few more times. Another issue is that he’d need to use many more Regret Essences to take down the first sub-bosses. Though he had enough for a couple more augment swaps, so it shouldn’t be a problem in the short term.

How else can I do it? There is no one else in this dungeon that can help me. The Ashen Smith himself was chained to this room, and despite his overwhelming power he couldn't physically move towards the Juggernaut, and neither could Chilly bring the Juggernaut all the way over here considering the narrow tunnels.

There is no one else in this dungeon that can help me... Or was there. He recalled the strange occurrence the other day, where the penguins had asked him to talk to the air. He hadn't thought much of the experience at the time, but they had asked him to specifically talk to someone by the name of Katy. Or was it Hailey? He couldn't quite recall. Regardless, if the penguins had thought it was necessary to talk to them, then perhaps this mysterious person could be of service.

He grinned at the thought, and turned to the penguins. “Do you guys remember the Shelly character that we met in the Prison? Do you think they would be able to help me with the Juggernaut?”

The penguins looked among themselves. Some shrugged, others facepalmed, others just looked confused. One penguin in particular mimed searching around the room, and then shrugged at Chilly.

“You don't know where they are?” Chilly clarified.

The penguins nodded.

“Well, then maybe we can go back to the last place we saw them, and call their name out or something. If they are still in the area, then they might hear me and I can explain the situation.” He said. “Alternatively maybe you guys can pick up their trail once we get close. Can you guys do that?”

Some of the penguins giggled, while the rest shrugged.

“For the love of all that is Void-ly, get something in your belly, would you!”

>

>

Chilly frowned deeply at the notifications, as his stomach gurgled.

“You made that happen!” Chilly accused.

Nalhcal grinned, and popped into a cloud of black smoke.

“Food...penguins...stupid...water...” Chilly grouched. “Bah! I need food. Like bad. We need a break to get food and water. The debuffs are just making the fights harder then they have any right to be.

“Might be time to dash past Purity and remove your debuffs.” Noomplet said.

Chilly said, “Do you guys remember if I can just run by?”

“If you can't dash... eliminate” Noomplet said with an evil grin.

“Thanks,” Chilly shot the penguin a sour look. “I'd rather not face the Priest of Purity again. I did destroy the door last time, if it does lock then that might be bad. Hey Sooty, do you know if the doors to boss rooms lock behind you when you enter?”

[The Hellbringer’s door does lock, though I do not know for certain if the other boss rooms follow this pattern.]

“Yes, maybe,” Noomplet translated.

“Damn,” Chilly turned to the penguins, “do any of you know if there are sources of food or water down that tunnel?” Chilly asked, pointing at the one tunnel he had yet to explore.

Some of the penguins shrugged, while one kind of gave a maybe sort of gesture.

“I see,” Chilly said. He still couldn’t exactly figure out what these all-knowing miniature beings actually knew or didn’t. Or whether it was more a matter of permission to convey certain information than lack of knowledge.

A puff of black smoke appeared right in front of him.

“You!” Chilly pointed.

Nalhcal giggled, “Seek the Shifting Tree that walks in shadow, which in turn seeks humanity”

“More riddles!” Chilly lunged at the penguin. “Shoo! Scram. Go away, I’m already hungry enough.”

Nalhcal giggled again, vanishing in a puff of smoke before Chillys flailing hands could slap it.

It isn't ideal, he thought after slumping back down. Still, despite the risks and uncertainty, it was vastly more appealing to continue exploring, hopefully towards the direction of food and water, then risk getting trapped in the Holy Sanctum, only for the dubious honor of eating goblin meat and drinking dirty water. If bosses matched his level, there was no guarantee he would beat the Priest this time around. Last time, every single one of his abilities had worked overtime. This time several would be useless. Namely Starfire Aegis. The massive amount of fire resistance it granted would do nothing for him against an enemy that exclusively deals physical damage.

Chilly slapped his thighs, and got up. “Then it's decided!”, he said, “I'm going to rest, then we’ll check out that tunnel over there to search for some food and water and maybe some help. If that’s a bust, we’ll try the Holy Sanctum. Once we’ve gotten rid of the ailments, I will come back to take down the Juggernaut once and for all. Worst case I'll just keep farming the two bosses I can kill, until they drop a weapon or three.

The Ashen Smith, who had been rather confused at Chilly’s one-sided exchange with the air, nodded his upper body.

“Wait a second,” Chilly paused. “Do you know if there is food or water down that tunnel?”

The Ashen Smith turned to the tunnel, then rubbed his arm with a distinctly forlorn look. [I do not know anything beyond this small realm, young adventure.]

“No.” Peregrine translated.

“Sad,” Poidude added, pointing at Sooty.

“Damn,” Chilly said. “We'll get you out buddy. Just give me a couple more resets.”

Sooty paused, turning his body to face Chilly. A protracted second later, he signed, [This Hell and those who’ve been through it have taught me not to hope, but good luck, and may you return successful in all your endeavors.]

The penguins didn’t deign to translate that, so Chilly assumed it was unimportant. He stretched, feeling several joints in his back pop, then rubbed at his tired eyes. The ash in the air was certainly not helping.

He waved goodbye to Sooty the Smith, then headed down the tunnel to the Holy Sanctum for a nap before moving forward. As he traveled, the ash and cinders in the air grew sparse, until there was none left. He found himself a clean-ish section of the floor, and lay down.

He shimmied, uncomfortable on the hard floor, once more wishing for a proper bed. Despite the discomfort, in moments he was fast asleep. The penguins kept careful watch as he slept.

>

>

Chilly awoke refreshed but dying of hunger and thirst. His throat seemed to be made of sandpaper, and his stomach seemed determined to hug his spine. It had actually gotten to the point where he was starting to feel the pain of the ailments. It was faint, just a hint in the background, but given his incredible life regeneration it was ridiculous that he even felt any pain at all. He put on a bright smile, pushing the unpleasantness to the background.

“Lead the way my fluffy companions!” He called to the penguins, a hint of forced cheer in his voice.

As they walked back to the fire biome, Chilly swallowed three Essences of Regret and reset his augments to what they were before he messed them up during the Juggernaut fight. With all his skillpoints on damage he’d be in danger of sudden assassination. As he was doing so, he decided to drop Ignition and Empowered Flames from Incinerate, but keep Scorching Ray. This would drop his damage on Incinerate by a bit, but would increase the damage of his other abilities by 20%. Considering his obscene regeneration, and Star Fuel, it seemed best to rely on that for now. He had eight regrets remaining, which was more than enough if he found the strategy wasn’t working.

(AN: pls note that this number would be higher if he wasn’t dehydrated or starving)

He passed through the Ashen Smith's domain, only briefly pausing to say hello, and collect the more important essences from his pile. He continued down to the unexplored tunnel. It looked the same as the one leading to the tubes, but after a couple steps a new notification appeared in his vision.

He walked down the tunnel, getting the rest of the kinks out of his shoulders from sleeping on the hard stone floor, when he saw a blue-white light up ahead. It was a pinprick in the distance, but it reminded him aggressively of leaving a train tunnel and seeing the bright light of sunshine streaming underground.

Excited, he hastened his pace. A walk turned into a jog, turned into a run. The light grew brighter and brighter, nearly blinding him, and easily subsuming the light of his cape.

He burst out to see a wide vista. Above him was the sky. An overcast day with some darker clouds heralding a storm. However, peeking from in between the cloud cover, the sun warmed his face with cheerful rays.

Chilly ripped off his helmet and fell to his knees, body shaking. Silent tears carved furrows in the grime covering his face, as he enjoyed the feeling of sunlight on his face after what felt like forever in darkness. No matter how much light there might have been from fire or magma, it was not the sun.

He spread his arms wide. “Praise the sun,” he whispered reverentially, his eyes closed.

He didn’t notice that the tunnel had terminated on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a broad vista of rolling grassy knolls. He didn’t notice the gigantic white tree erupting from the ground in the distance. Nor the singular branch, the width of an interstate, coming off the main trunk to connect to the edge of the cliff and provide a path he could travel. Neither did he notice that the white tree’s canopy disappeared far above in a black storm cloud that rumbled ominously.

No, Chilly’s entire focus was on the sunlight warming his skin, and the faint smell of grass in the air.

He certainly didn't notice the sad looks the penguins were shooting at him, or that their bodies were dark, with shimmering orange and yellow highlights, as if the only light that reached their ethereal bodies came from Chilly’s incandescent cape. He didn’t notice one particular penguin lean against a section of open air as if it was as solid as stone.