I was taken aback. I hadn’t thought that what I had said was so special. I also hadn’t thought about other cored buildings. I had assumed that other than weapons and armor, rings were the only thing that would be cored. It was just because I hadn’t found them yet.

I nodded, “Well I don’t know about all of that but I will go get you what you need. “

Kasidy smiled, “It would be easier if I just came with you to the dungeon store. Then everything would fit me.”

“Nope, everything from the dungeon resizes so there is no need I will be back in a bit with equipment for you.”

I headed down to the safe room. I was happy that I, at least in a small way, dodged some of the questions she would ask. I needed to keep everything I could and couldn’t do close to the vest. So there was no way I was going to confirm anything that she had said about me.

“Dave! I got some stuff to buy and some dungeon seeds to make.”

Dave, with this never-clean glass, smiled at me as I came down the steps. “What are you buying today?”

“I need travel boots and clothes for the gal that showed up. I am going to take her with me as I got toward Cloudia.”

“What level stuff do you want?”

“Low and common. I told her that I can just run the dungeon fast and so I am going to buy her stuff down here and bring it up.”

Dave shook his head. “She didn’t believe you did she?”

“Kind of maybe. She said that I was at least a hero and perhaps a champion. Since she didn’t figure out that I was from another world or the dungeon master I am taking it as a win.”

Dave nodded. “Okay so travel gear for Kasidy. Do you want other equipment for her as well?”

“Yeah, she needs a pack of some sort and a kit. I don’t know but she looks awful right now because she has been in the woods for a week or more so if you have stuff for a woman adventurer. Hairbrush and stuff like that.”

“I can get that for you. Are you going to core everything?”

“Nope! I don’t want her to know what all I can do.”

“But she knows you made the thicket so there’s that.”

“Yeah but she doesn’t know HOW I did it. So I am trying to keep her from finding out.”

“I get that, but didn’t you tell that other woman that you met before finding me everything.”

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Lannah knows everything but she gave me some good advice to not go telling everyone else. It wouldn’t be safe for me if people knew I was a level zero or has the Necklace of Cores.”

Dave pulled out his equipment racks. I watched as they rolled out from behind the bar and went from weapons to dresses. He selected three dresses and two pairs of boots. Then picked up a small bag that looked like it had things in it. He sat everything on the bar, slid the racks back in, and pulled them out again.

This time as the racks came out, they were full of backpacks and other camping gear. He pulled off a light one and then a bed roll. He walked to the other side and picked up a shallow metal bowl and the most universally hated thing in the world. A spork.

“Dave, put the spork back. She can carry a fork and spoon no need to give that thing to her!”

Dave chuckled, “While they aren’t thought of much where you come from a spork is something every traveler has here. At least the last time someone got into the dungeon I was part of last. So about 75 years ago.”

“Yeah but they just are so bad and that is wooden too so it even worse. Lets get her a metal fork and spoon.”

Dave raised an eyebrow. “You’re the boss!”

He sent the rack back in and then walked up to it. Once he got up to the closed-in rack, he tapped it, and it started to cycle through different fronts. It came to rest on what looked like a china cabinet. Dave pulled out one of the dozens of drawers and plucked out a fork. He opened another drawer and pulled out a spoon, then tapped the cabinet, and it turned back to a display of bottles.

“Okay boss I think I got everything for you. Three dresses, two pairs of boots, a sleeping roll, a fork and spoon, one pack for everything to fit in and a women’s basic bag of toiletries.”

“Yeah. No. We aren’t carrying a ton of extra weight just one dress and one pair of boots will do.”

Dave gave me that look barkeeps give when you say something so stupid they would hit you if they weren’t on the job. Then he slowly shook his head, and it looked like he thought for a moment. Which was kind of neat but confusing since I understood he was part of the dungeon, not even a real being. So that he could give me all the body language impressed me with the magic involved.

Dave picked his glass back up and leaned on the bar, “Okay Arn. I can do what you say but I want you to think about what you have asked. Say you take her just one dress. She is going to take with her that torn dress as well so that she can wash the new one. Now when the new one gets as bad as the old one and you come into town what do you think your reception will be?”

“Okay I get what you are saying but why the 2 sets of boots those are a lot of added weight?”

“You asked for the cheap low level stuff. I get your reasoning but that means that they will wear out fast. I expect that one pair of boots will break in about three days of hiking. So two pairs should give you 6 days to get to where you are going.”

“But my moccasins haven’t worn out yet and I have been wearing them for months.”

Dave gave a dry chuckle. “You have so many magical items that you have forgotten that they don’t take damage unless attacked. Which is why your gear which mostly looks weak isn’t that bad.”

“So I got to travel heavier to hide who I am.”

Dave sat down the glass, “No you have to travel heavier because you want to not confirm to her who you are. She has already guessed that you are a Champion and while it hasn’t shown up in your status you got brought from off world which give you access to becoming one once you get to a temple of the god who brought you.”

“Fine but I still think that she doesn’t know she is only guessing. Oh wait she also wanted something to write in. I figure that if she is writing then she might be staying out of the way and out of trouble.”

Dave smiled, looked right into my eyes, and then laughed, “Oh that’s great she wants to write your story! Once she finds out you are level zero then it will be an even better story!”

“Stupid surface thoughts.” I muttered.

Dave smiled and handed me a small, roughly bound book. “This is a blank songbook. I know she hasn’t said what she is as of yet but I am betting she is a bard. She can write her songs there and it will reduce the time and cost to cast. Not much since it is low level.”

I bundled everything up into her bag and then went down to the storage room. Once there, I grabbed the panpipes that I had gotten from my dungeon run. I tossed those and a couple of pounds of lamb jerky into the pack.

Once I had Kasidy’s stuff ready, I went to the dungeon heart. “Lets see if I can seed this now.”

* * *